Gasoline
by riverofmemories
Summary: When cases of deviancy in androids around Detroit begin to appear, Detective Prisca Scott finds herself assigned to the investigation with Connor, the android sent by CyberLife to solve the deviant problem. As they seek answers, they find themselves racing against time to try and stop the rising war between their species even as a question arises: what does it mean to be human?
1. Prologue

**_XXX_**

 _ **|August 15, 2038|**_

 _ **|8:29 PM|**_

As the elevator rose to the highest floor in the apartment building, a coin flipped wildly from one hand to the other. Had he been human, one might have said it was a way of relieving boredom. For him, however, it was merely a manner of containing his impatience as he rose through the floors – as he waited for the elevator to reach the top. When he glanced up and saw the elevator nearing its destination, he put away his coin and straightened his tie, preparing for the job he'd been sent to accomplish.

The moment the doors slid open, he stepped through. The SWAT member waiting saw him and immediately spoke into the radio on his shoulder. "Negotiator on site. Repeat, negotiator on site." His dark eyes were alert, studying everything and anything as he began following the SWAT member. He led him through the halls and into a condo – the source of many problems.

As he stepped into the room, entering after being granted permission by the android outside, a woman fell against him, grabbing his arm. "Oh, please. You have to save my – wait!" Her eyes locked onto the label on his suit jacket, the familiar glowing blue band on his upper right arm, and finally the blinking blue LED on his right temple. "What?! You're sending an android?" she cried in horror.

"Alright, ma'am," another SWAT member muttered, grabbing her and forcing her out the door. "We need to go."

The woman looked back, screaming, "You can't! You can't. Why aren't you sending a real person?! Don't let that thing near her! Keep that thing away from my daughter!" Her voice rose to a blood-curdling shriek, but he didn't bat an eye. "KEEP IT AWAY!"

"Why are we wasting time sending an android to negotiate?" a man was spitting into his phone nearby. He was pissed. A quick analysis in his systems told him who the man was: Captain Allen, head of the SWAT team present in the condo. "That piece of crap could jump from the rooftop any second. My men are ready to step in, just give the – FUCK, I don't believe this…"

He stepped forward, voice confident. "Captain Allen?" he said politely, catching the captain's attention. Allen's eyes turned on him with disgust, noting the labels and the LED flickering at the android's temple. "My name is Connor. I'm the android sent by CyberLife."

Captain Allen sneered, but spat, "It's firing at anything and everything that moves. It's already shot down two of my men and one of the cops that answered the call initially is stuck up on the roof with it, bleeding out. We could get it, but they're on the edge of the balcony. If it falls, the girl falls."

Connor gathered a few quick pieces of information and concluded that Captain Allen would be pointless to interrogate further regarding the matter. "Look," he said suddenly, catching Connor's attention before he could take a quick look around before approaching the hostage-holder. "Saving that kid is all that matters. So, either you deal with this fucking android _now_ , or I'm taking care of it."

Connor didn't say another word, merely moved on. It didn't take Connor long to get the information he needed to figure out the situation after moving around the apartment. With permission, he took the present police officer's gun and tucked it away at his back before heading out to deal with the deviant android.

"Stay back!" the deviant shouted as Connor emerged from the condo onto a roof.

He took a quick glimpse at the situation. The panicked deviant stood on the edge of the roof, a gun pointed at him. He waved for the current SWAT members out there to leave. They did so and when he was alone with the deviant, Connor called over the loud sound of a helicopter that hovered above them, "Hi, Daniel. My name is Connor." He did a quick analysis of the girl held tightly in the android's arms. She sobbed hysterically, tears streaming down her face. She was unharmed outside of bloodied knees from where she'd hit pavement at some point. She was his priority – he'd been ordered to ensure that she was safe by the end of this interaction, no matter what the cost.

Daniel faltered, his blue eyes full of panic. "How do you know my name?"

"I know a lot of things about you," Connor said, pulling his attention away from the girl. "I've come to get you out of this. I know you're angry, Daniel, but you need to trust me and let me help you."

"I don't want your help!" Daniel snapped. "Nobody can help me! All I want is for all of this to stop. I just…I want this to stop…" He trailed off, miserable as he looked briefly down at the girl.

Connor skimmed the area cautiously, ensuring that there was nothing he could do to reassure him in that manner. His attention snagged on a woman – a cop – curled up on the ground, her gaze lazy and agonized. She was staring at him through teary blue eyes, blood staining her arm and soaking through the fabric of her trench coat. A bullet had slammed into an important artery. The cop struck down, he decided. "Please," she breathed, sobbing at the pain. "Help."

Slowly, Connor took a step towards her, kneeling beside her to do what he could until the deviant was dealt with. She sobbed in relief. "Don't touch her!" Daniel shouted viciously, furious with Connor for doing such a thing. Connor stilled, hands only a breath away from her arm. "Touch her and I'll shoot you through the head!"

"She's losing blood," Connor said patiently. "If we don't get her to a hospital, she's going to die." He didn't look at the deviant, removing his tie from around his neck. It would suffice for a tourniquet and he could get another one at another time. CyberLife much preferred saving human lives to a tie. He worked quickly. When the deviant shouted that humans died anyways, Connor ignored him.

Finished, his systems telling him that the cop would live for the time being, Connor returned to his previous position. Daniel watched his every move before suddenly demanding, "Are you armed?"

"Yes," Connor said, slowly removing the gun from where he'd hidden it. So much for that method. "I have a gun."

"Drop it!" Daniel snarled. "No sudden moves! And tell that helicopter to get out of here!"

Connor did as he said, eyes darting to the girl as he waved for the helicopter to leave. It did, swerving off and leaving them in silence outside of the roar of the wind created by the high buildings. His orders had been to retrieve her alive. The deviant, too, if he could, so that the humans could figure out what had made it deviate so badly. But the priority was the human child. "There, no more gun." Connor took advantage of the moment to step a little closer. "I know you and Emma were very close," he said, gesturing to the sobbing child. "You think she betrayed you, but she's done nothing wrong."

Daniel shook his head in disagreement, scowling down at the girl. "She lied to me. I thought she loved me. I was wrong. She's just like all the other humans."

Emma sobbed and, to remind Daniel that she was a human child, thinking it might convince him to release her, Connor asked calmly, "Are you okay, Emma?"

Daniel tensed as she cried, "Please help me! I don't want to die!" She choked off, sobbing louder. "I don't want to die."

"Nobody's going to die, Emma," Connor told her – and Daniel, although he knew he couldn't guarantee anything regarding what would happen to the android. "Everything's going to be fine." His gaze darted up to Daniel's. "You have to trust me, Daniel," he said soothingly. "Let the hostage go and I promise you everything will be fine."

Daniel's gaze darted back and forth. "I want everyone to leave and I want a car! When I'm outside the city, I'll…I'll let her go!"

"That's impossible, Daniel." Connor took another step forward. "Let the girl go and I promise you won't be hurt." Daniel hesitated, and Connor pushed on, knowing he was close to succeeding at what he'd been told was his mission for the time being. "You're not going to die. We're just going to talk. Nothing will happen to you, Daniel, you have my word."

Daniel considered the matter for a few moments, glancing down at Emma. Connor felt a flicker of satisfaction when he finally let the girl go. She ran, collapsing a few feet away on the pavement. She sobbed hysterically, gulping down air as she knelt there, relieved to be away from the edge. Connor didn't spare her a look as, a moment later, gunshots were fired off.

He didn't flinch when the deviant's blood flew.

Only stared with the slightest flickers of uncertainty as Daniel shut down piece by piece, his final words echoing in Connor's ears even as he turned and left without looking back.

 _"You lied to me, Connor. You lied to me."_

* * *

 _I wasn't sure if I was going to actually go through with posting this fic. I'm not done writing it, but I thought I'd send out a trial thing and see what happened. I might throw out the first actual chapter. I'm incredibly nervous about it, but oh, well._

 _The title is based off of "Gasoline" by Halsey. I thought the lyrics perfectly fitted just about everything regarding D:BH._

 _So this will be a sort of re-write of D:BH, featuring my delightfully new OC, Prisca Scott. I basically replaced Hank (I fucking love Hank and feel bad about not including him, but I wanted her to take his spot) and it follows the plot line of the game with some changes. I actually came up with an idea for a sequel if people end up liking this enough. I've been using the lovely transcript put together by a group who posted them at .io. :)_

 _Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think! :)_


	2. The Android Sent By CyberLife

**_XXX_**

 _ **|November 5, 2038|**_

 _ **|6:30 PM|**_

It was an incredibly brisk, cold November day. The cold nipped and bit at her nose and lips, turning her cheeks red. A scarf was thrown around her neck, a hat on her head, and gloves on her hands, all made of white wool to match her purple coat. The cold didn't stop her from barking out "Sime!" in a strict voice, however, drawing the attention of the dog that was sniffing around at the other end of the park. It pricked its black ears as it processed her order. Its body tensed, ready.

"Down!" she barked, smiling broadly when the German Shepherd dropped to the earth, head still up and attention entirely on her. She nodded a curt approval, tucking long strands of platinum blonde hair out of her eyes and beneath her white hat. She gave it a few minutes and then called, "Alright, good boy, Sime! Come!"

Sime lurched forward with a bark. She greeted him with a warm smile, dropping to her knees to hug him when he squirmed at her feet, whining and whimpering. "Good boy," she hummed to him, crooning almost. "Good boy, Sime." She kissed the fur on his head and then held the ball in her hand up, catching his attention. He tensed, ready. "Go!" she shouted, throwing the ball away from her.

Sime lunged for it with a high-pitched bark of excitement and entirely amused, Priscilla "Prisca" Scott laughed and tucked her hands into her pockets, watching as the android dog flung himself after the ball. She loved him. And she knew, no matter what people said, he loved her, too. The way he perked up whenever she came around, when she came home from a long day of work…when he'd put his head in her lap during her pained, exhausted moments…

People could say what they wanted about the deviant androids, but she had known from the moment she'd been gifted Sime that he was alive.

Sime woofed around the ball as he came running back with the ball in his mouth. She took the slimy mess from his mouth and hurled it again, watching as he tore after it. Her mind drifted to the subject of her new case. As a homicide detective, she was used to seeing death every day. She was used to solving cases involving death. But this…a case involving a deviant android that had murdered the one who'd purchased it? That would be new. She was intrigued enough that she'd not complained about having to go out into the field when she'd already been dealing with exhaustion from another fifteen-hour shift she'd found herself on.

She threw the ball a third time. Sime retrieved it. She was just preparing to throw it a fourth when Sime suddenly tensed, his entire body on alert as he growled. His gaze locked onto something behind her. Prisca looked over her shoulder, curious.

An android stood there. She could tell immediately what he was by the glowing blue band on his right arm, a matching triangle over the left side of his chest. Both gave it away, even if the LED in his temple didn't. She didn't recognize the model, although she couldn't read what he was from this far away. He stood beside the chain-link fence that led into the tiny park she often visited with Sime, waiting patiently for her to notice him. Rather than standing with his hands clasped, doing nothing as any other android might have done, however, he was playing with a coin of sorts, flicking it this way and that.

"Huh," she muttered. "Go ahead, Sime."

Sime was a good judge of character. He'd let her know what he thought of the guy and then she'd proceed from there. Sime bounded over to say hello and she was startled when he bent a little to pat the dog on the head in greeting. Sime wagged his tail and that was enough. Clearing her throat to catch his attention as she made her way over, Prisca called, "Sime, come!"

Sime returned to her side with a whine of protest. He liked the guy then. Interesting. Really interesting. He straightened as she approached, and it was only when she'd stopped that she could see what model he was. _RK800_ read the numbers and letters on his suit jacket. He looked familiar up close, she realized. She squinted up at him. He was much taller than she was. But he still reminded her of a puppy of sorts as he said pleasantly, "Hello, Detective Scott. My name Is Connor. I'm the android sent by CyberLife."

"Nice to meet you. Prisca Scott, though I guess you knew that. The dog is mine. His name is Sime." She offered her hand, which Connor hesitantly shook. Maybe the androids didn't think they were alive, but she'd certainly treat them as such anyways. "Can I ask what CyberLife sent an android for?"

Connor looked relieved to get down to the point so quickly. "You were assigned a case earlier today: a homicide, involving a CyberLife android. In accordance with procedure, the company has allocated a specialized model to assist investigators." He offered a tiny smile that she thought was rather fake, although she didn't blame him for that. His coding wouldn't have allowed more.

She was fascinated by the idea of deviancy, she'd realized upon being assigned the case. How an android could go to servant and blank-minded piece of plastic not coded to be emotional although they were supposed to be intelligent to a disastrous emotional creature was fascinating, and she'd immediately latched on, wanting to learn more. Perhaps she'd just found her source of primary information.

"I understand that some are not comfortable in the presence of androids," Connor continued, "but I am- "

"Oh, no, I'm fine with androids," she said, catching him by surprise. He looked a little startled, amusing her. This android thought he was excluded from deviancy, but even now, he was far more emotional than other androids she'd seen. "I mean, I'm not really fond of anyone people wise, but I've got no qualms working with you. It'll be interested getting to work with a specialized model." She clipped a leash to Sime's collar, ruffling his ears. "I'm assuming you want me to take you to the crime scene?"

"Yes," he said firmly, nodding curtly.

"Sounds good, let me take Sime home first though. Can't bring him, sadly." She dropped the leash. "Sime," she ordered, "car." He took off without looking at her, heading out of the park with a happy whine. Connor watched him go curiously. Smirking at him, Prisca winked. "He likes care rides. Do you like car rides, Connor?"

He debated for the briefest of moments, analyzing her. "Yes," he answered finally.

Her grin widened. "You're just saying that because of some coding telling you to make me like you."

"No, I like cars," he declined hastily. She threw her head back and laughed at him, pleased with the response she'd gotten.

"Come on, Connor, let's go take a look at a dead man, shall we?" she said, winking again. Curious Connor let her lead him to her vehicle.

* * *

She loved her old loud truck. She knew a lot of people preferred the sleek new models that were autonomous, but she adored driving her truck as it roared down the street. To Prisca, driving was a calming activity. She could play around with the radio like she'd done as a child versus what she'd seen children doing now a days: shouting at the cars over their parents' voices.

It didn't take Prisca too long to drop her dog off at home and then get her and Connor moving towards the crime scene. As she drove, she glanced his way, her elbow propped on the window and her head in her palm. She studied him for a moment before returning her eyes, blue as the sky, to the road. "Hey, Connor," she said suddenly. He looked to her, waiting. "What model are you? What were you designed for specifically?"

"He didn't seem concerned about the question at all. "I'm a RK800," he said simply, as if it were a fact he gave out every day – as if it wasn't displayed on his suit. "I'm a prototype designed by CyberLife to interact and deal with deviant androids."

"Huh," she said under her breath, squinting again. Prototype meant there was only one, which meant she'd not see him running around Detroit…then where the hell had she seen Connor before?

It smacked her so hard that she nearly swerved right off the road, earning a startled look from Connor.

 _He'd been there._ He'd been the one she'd watched, eyes bleared with pain, on that rooftop. He'd been the one to talk the android down from throwing himself and his young hostage down to the streets thousands of feet below. He'd been the one who'd done what the humans couldn't, the one to put that damn tourniquet on her leg.

"Holy _shit_ ," she breathed, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. "You're the one from August, right?" He waited for more clarification, so she gave it. "The one who talked the hostage right out of a deviant's hands."

"Yes," he said simply. "That was a case I took part in."

"Huh. _Huh_." Prisca was stunned – and delighted. But she said nothing about the matter, even as he gave her a curious look, interested in why she'd be so excited about such a matter. He was still looking at her strangely a few minutes later, when she pulled her car up on the curb beside the house that had been taped off. She scowled at the sight of the news crews and curious people around. "Ugh, this is going to be a mess…come on, Connor."

He ducked out of the car, pausing to wait until she'd joined him on the other side of the car, and together, they crossed the street. The second their feet touched the grass on the other side, the journalists were in her face, flashing camera lights filling her eyes and blinding her. Connor looked startled by them. Prisca navigated them expertly, walking through them as if she did this every day. She ducked around a few bystanders who'd become nosy and come to look, shouting questions and words that made her wince sometimes. A police android stepped aside to let her past. She was about to make a beeline for the house when she heard a voice declare, "Androids are not permitted beyond this point."

Understandable, with what had happened, Prisca supposed. She looked back and found Connor had been stopped. He looked almost insulted, which made her grin. Snorting softly, she called, "He's with me."

The police android glanced over his shoulder at her and then stepped aside to let Connor past. Connor hurried after her, "When we're inside," she told him, climbing the steps to the front porch, "I want you to stick close, okay? The cops aren't a big fan of androids right now, and if something goes down, I wouldn't put it past some of them to take advantage of the situation and shoot you."

"My life is of no concern," Connor informed her. "My model will merely be replaced by a new one and my memory will be uploaded into the next Connor."

"First of all, that's creepy as fuck, and I really don't want to hear anything about that kind of thing ever again," Prisca replied, putting her hands on her hips. "And second of all, whether you're replaced or not, I don't want to see someone I'm working with shot, android or human. If you get shot, we're not working together and CyberLife are going to have to get over it, are we clear?"

Connor studied her closely before nodding. "Yes, Detective."

"Prisca," she corrected. "Call me Prisca." Prisca spun on her heel and headed inside. A police officer met them right in the entrance. The house was like a lot of other Detroit homes: beat up and old. It was one story, and reeked of the smell of decaying flesh. She peered around as the officer explained to them that most of the evidence was in the nearby kitchen. Connor was like a constant shadow as she did a quick up and down search of the hall before slipping into the next room.

"Oh, disgusting," she muttered as they stepped into it, covering her mouth and nose with her hand. Connor didn't react at all; she wasn't surprised, although she did wonder if he could smell as well as she could.

Another officer recognized her and grinned. He was kind enough, with a weathered face and dark eyes. _Ben_ , she recalled despite not often interacting with the other officers. "Hey there, Prisca," he said warmly in greeting. "We were starting to think you weren't going to show. Pretty sight, eh?" he added, nodding at the corpse on the ground, slumped against the wall behind a couch that had been shoved aside.

Prisca threw Ben a tight smile and said, "Sorry, Ben. Was a little stressed. I had a long night and was out with my dog when I heard. Had to take Sime back to the house before I came. But look. I'm here now, and I brought my new partner." She patted Connor's arm playfully, earning a confused look for her action. "Bet you didn't see that coming. So. What's going on?"

Ben eyed Connor suspiciously, not at all pleased that an android was now on the crime scene, but merely jerked his chin towards the gray-skinned corpse. "Got a call around eight from the landlord. He said his tenant hadn't paid his rent for a few months, so he thought he'd drop by and see what was going on." Ben shifted his weight a little, thoughtful. "That's when he found the body. Jesus, that smell," he groaned, making a face. "Was even worse when we opened the windows…anyways, the victim's Carlos Ortiz. Had a record for theft and aggravated assault." Prisca nodded, making note of that. "According to the neighbors, he was kind of a loner. Stayed inside most of the time and they never really saw him."

"Alright, so he's a special kind of prick more than likely," Prisca said, making a face. She knelt beside the body without an ounce of hesitation, studying it closely. The stab marks…there were several. "About three weeks, right? We'll know more when the coroner shows up I guess…murder weapon?"

"My money's on the blood-soaked kitchen knife over there," Ben replied, gesturing to a knife set on a coffee table. "And check out the writing overhead."

Suddenly, Connor spoke. He'd stood over her shoulder, studying the body. "He was stabbed twenty-eight times."

Prisca glanced up at him. His face was serious and thoughtful as he studied the corpse quickly, analyzing information she was willing to bet she'd have missed in a heartbeat. "Damn," she muttered. "The killer really had it in for him..." Prisca tipped her head back and studied the writing on the wall. It looked as if it had been written in blood. _I am alive_ , it read. Android, she'd bet. She frowned. Why would it write such a thing after murdering the human? Interesting. "Hey, Connor, is it written in the victim's blood?"

"Yes," Connor confirmed from somewhere behind her. He'd moved away to investigate something else while she was focused on the corpse. She spared a glance over her shoulder to see and found him knelt beside the murder weapon. Shrugging, she glanced to Ben when he started speaking.

"We're taking samples for analysis and there's some Red Ice that Chris is taking some samples of over there for analysis." He jabbed a finger in the direction of the mentioned officer, scowling. "Fucking Red Ice…we find it _everywhere_. Anyways, seems like he was – what the _fuck_ are you doing?"

Prisca spun around in time to see Connor touch two fingers to his tongue. He glanced back in the middle of the action, confused on what he'd done wrong. When he pulled his hand back, she saw the gleam of blood on his fingers. Her jaw dropped. "What the _fuck_ , Connor?!" she snapped, caught by surprise.

He dropped his hand, startled by the reaction he'd received. "I was analyzing the blood. I can check samples in real time. I'm sorry, I should have warned you." He stood in one smooth movement, flicking blood drops from his fingers. She flinched in disgust.

"You…" Prisca was speechless. "Connor. Seriously. You can't just stick blood from a murder victim in your mouth, it's disgusting! Fuck." She shuddered, feeling a little ill. She found herself rather fond of him, but this…she wasn't sure she could stand seeing that on a regular basis. "Can't you analyze some other way?"

"No," Connor said, blinking once. "I'm sorry, Prisca, if this upsets you."

Was that _snark_ in his tone? She squinted at him, suspicious. He was definitely a little more reactive than most androids. Prisca couldn't say she minded, but it was odd that CyberLife would send an android that seemed more likely to deviate than any other to assist in an investigation to put a stop to it all.

"Sure you are," Prisca replied with a suspicious look on her face. Her attention went to the amused Ben. "Go on," she grumbled, ordering he and the other cops out. "I've got the scene under control now, you mocking asshole." She turned away as Ben chuckled but left with half of the police in the house, meandering over to peer out a cracked windowpane at the yard in the back of the house. Taking a deep breath, she said suddenly, "Well, since you've…analyzed it why don't you tell me what you found in the blood, Connor?" When there was no response, she looked over her shoulder and found that Connor was nowhere to be found, but the door to the backyard had been thrown open. A cool breeze washed through the room as Prisca made her way over.

Connor was standing at the edge of a cement step, staring at the wet ground. "The door was locked from the inside," he told her, not looking back at her as he scanned the area. "The killer couldn't have come this way. There are no footprints apart from Officer Collins's size ten shoes."

Prisca was more curious than she was annoyed that he'd made such an assumption. Rather than protesting that he couldn't have known, she simply said, "Explain."

"This type of soil would have retained a trace," Connor answered. "Nobody's been out here for some time."

"I see. Thank you." Prisca stepped out of the doorway and back. "Now come on in before you get soaked and ruin some of the evidence." Connor glanced back at her, blinked, and then followed her in. He gave his head a firm shake, and Prisca sputtered when she was sprayed with water that had soaked into his hair. "Watch it," she muttered before heading for the kitchen – the apparent start of this mess.

"Back to your disgusting habit – what are you doing now?" she demanded when she realized his gaze was zipping around the room, the LED in his temple blinking yellow. She'd never understood how those lights worked. But she knew that it was different then his normal blue.

Connor finished whatever he was doing before answering. "I was reconstructing the situation. I believe I know what happened now."

"Alright then." She folded her arms, cocking her head. He looked at her. "Tell me. Let's see how good you are."

Connor went quiet, considering how to word his answer. Finally, he told her, "It started in the kitchen, where the victim attacked the android with a bat." She stared at him in shock; she'd not even known just yet that there _was_ a bat! "The android stabbed the victim, who then fled to the living room. The android followed and murdered him."

Prisca dropped her arms, sorrow crossing her mind – and disgust with the victim close behind. She spat at the ground, scowling. "He was just defending himself," she muttered. "He was just fighting back against abuse. And we're hunting him like he's a cold-blooded killer."

"He killed a human," Connor said firmly, clasping his hands behind his back. "Self-defense or not, he is a murderer."

Rather than getting into an argument with a mission-oriented android, Prisca spun on her heel. "So, tell me where it went." She paused. "If you know."

"The android would have been damaged by the bat and lost some thirium," he reported. His gaze skimmed the room as if seeking something she couldn't see. "You call it blue blood. It's the fluid that powers our biocomponents. It evaporates after a few hours and becomes invisible to the naked eye."

Her lips quirked. "Oh? And let me take a quick guess…you can see it, can't you?"

"Yes," Connor confirmed. His eyes were traveling slowly around the room tracing a path of action that Prisca couldn't see. And then he was moving. Prisca trailed after him now, the android and human switching spots as Connor took hold of a chair and dragged it along with him.

"What are you doing?" Prisca said as he set the chair down and promptly stood atop of it. He spun in a careful circle before shoving at a panel of ceiling above him. She realized where he was going a moment later. There was an attic they'd not thought of above their heads. And if the deviant hadn't left, then it was likely up there.

"You're not going up there without me," she said suddenly, grabbing at his suit jacket when he reached up to haul himself into the attic. "You better drag me up there with you, Connor."

Connor glanced down at her, seeming to consider what to do. On one hand, having the detective up there would mean that he'd have help cornering the deviant. On the other hand, he'd seen what deviant androids were capable of when at high stress levels. He narrowed his eyes a little as he considered what the chance of Prisca remaining behind would be.

Little to nothing, he realized after a brief second of processing the information.

So, Connor nodded. Prisca let go of him. She stepped away as he heaved himself up into the attic and then carefully stepped onto the chair herself. Connor knelt at the top and stretched an arm down to help her, effortlessly lifting her up into the attic alongside him. Checking her gun, Prisca breathed, "Thanks. Which way?"

She watched that LED light flicker in the dim lighting of the attic, turning yellow as he analyzed the area around them. Finally, he gestured in a direction. She nodded to herself and indicated that he should take that path. She'd go around the other side and ensure that it didn't have a way out.

Connor ducked around a piece of furniture and the hunt was one.

Prisca followed the wall beside her, scarcely breathing for fear of chasing the deviant out too soon. She didn't agree with deactivating the poor thing for simply defending itself. Had it been human, they wouldn't have hesitated to forgive the crime, even provided services to help with the clear trauma that had caused the event. But it wasn't human, and it killed her that part of her job now was to bring it in for questioning. At least to confirm what Connor had claimed had happened, no matter how closely he'd followed the evidence.

It was a tense few minutes before Connor's voice suddenly called, "Prisca! It's here!" She blinked. That was fast. She ducked around the last few pieces of furniture and then stepped into a small patch of light that swathed Connor and the miserable android standing there. His face turned to her, smeared with dried blood.

Shock crossed her face at the sign of all the damage that had been dealt by the bat. She could see machinery at work beneath the exterior of the android. It was crying silently, looking at her through pained, terrified eyes.

In that moment, despite the clear visual evidence that it was a machine, Prisca thought the android was more human than Ortiz had been.

* * *

 _The last chapter I'll release until I've finished writing! Like I said, it follows the storyline and I used a transcript, so. :)_

 _Sime's name is pronounced "Sim-ee."_

 _Thanks to those who favorited and followed! I truly appreciate you! :D_


	3. Stress Levels

_**XXX**_

 _ **|November 6**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2038|**_

 _ **|12:41 AM|**_

"This isn't working!"

Prisca arched her brow at the other member of the Detroit police force as he stormed into the observation room that was adjacent to the interrogation room that the deviant they'd captured was seated in. She'd given it her best, too, and come up empty-handed, much to her frustration. She'd even tried a sympathetic approach. She got the feeling it was because she was human.

"We're wasting our time," continued Gavin Reed as he slammed into the chair beside her. "And we're not any fucking closer to figuring out what the hell it was up to."

"I don't know why you're so upset," Prisca muttered, glancing over her shoulder at Connor. Gavin had already declared his hatred for him several times. Even so, Connor had stood there for hours and hours, patiently watching and waiting to see what would happen. Progressively throughout the night, however, she'd noticed impatience creeping in. He'd begun to fidget with a coin – something that fascinated her beyond belief. She'd never seen an impatient android before. She was willing to bet he was agitated with the lack of progress on their case. "It's not your case that's hanging off of the word of a single android right now, Reed."

"We could try roughing it up," Gavin suggested, and not for the first time that night. He'd tried suggesting that theory earlier. "I mean, it's not human."

"As I told you earlier, I'm not torturing anyone. Android or not." _You fucking sadistic prick,_ she seethed silently in addition to her statement. She was tired, cranky, and missed her dog. Gavin wasn't helping with her situation.

For the first time that night, Connor added in addition to her statement, "Forgive me for interrupting, but androids don't feel pain. You would only damage it and that wouldn't make it talk. Additionally, deviants tend to self-destruct when they're in stressful situations."

Prisca beamed at him, proud that he'd just ripped away any chance that Gavin had had of getting information the way he wanted it. She was really starting to like Connor, the android sent by CyberLife. If he could piss off Gavin Reed, he was a top person in her books. Seeing the glee on Prisca's face, Gavin barked, "Okay then, _smartass_ , what should we do then?"

Connor turned his attention entirely onto Prisca, making her smile widen. He was directing all the authority in the room onto her. "I could try questioning it," Connor suggested.

"Go give it a shot," she told him, leaning back in her chair and waving at the door.

"Thank you, Prisca," he said. He nodded his gratitude to her and then slipped from the room.

The second the door shut behind him, Gavin said bluntly and irritably, "You're insane, Priscilla." She glared viciously at him for using her full first name. She hated her name and he knew it, she supposed, which was why he'd used it. Behind the glass they were watching through, she watched Connor step into the interrogation room and greet the android with surprising kindness. "Trusting him. He's a fucking _machine_. You really think he's gonna have your back if it's a choice between you and the mission?"

Prisca clenched her jaw, ignoring that last statement. Honestly? She didn't know. She'd seen Connor's determination to focus on the mission at hand: dealing with deviancy in androids. She wasn't entirely sure if he'd let himself be distracted from that mission long enough to help her if she needed it. "So long as he's not deviating himself, I don't give a damn," she muttered, although that wasn't entirely truthful either.

If Connor deviated like those they worked to catch…Prisca couldn't say the idea wasn't fascinating. She wanted to know what he'd do. Pressing her lips together, Prisca looked over to the interrogation going on in the other room, leaning in when Connor began to speak. "Shut up. I want to listen."

* * *

 _ **|November 6**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2038|**_

 _ **|12:44 AM|**_

"My name is Connor," Connor told the deviant when it didn't respond to Connor's initial pleasant greeting. He kept his tone calm, neutral. Pleasant even. Androids couldn't feel emotions, but this was a deviant – they were incredibly irrational and reacted badly to the orders in their systems telling them otherwise. He'd need to stay cautious. "What about you? What's your name?"

He didn't expect an actual answer. He didn't receive one. Connor's gaze darted to the glass and then back to the deviant. He didn't want to disappoint Prisca. She'd put her trust in him for this and losing that trust could harm the progress of the case and any future cases. "I don't want to hurt you," Connor told the deviant slowly, watching to see what would happen. "I just need to ask some questions, so we can understand what happened."

Still nothing.

So, Connor tried a different approach, warning it, "If you won't talk, I'm going to have to probe your memory."

The deviant reeled back in terror, tears in its eyes. _There._ That was the answer he needed and wanted. "No!" it cried in terror, tucking its arms underneath the metal table. It gave a soft sob. Connor didn't react at the sound, merely kept his face neutral. It was scared, he realized. Like a human would be scared – like the girl, Emma, had been. "What are they gonna do to me? Are they going to destroy me?"

"No," Connor said, aware that he was lying. His gaze scanned the android, calculating just how high the stress levels it was dealing with were. Decently high, but nowhere near the concerning one-hundred percent that would send it into a suicidal mode. "I think they just want to understand. They know your master abused you. It wasn't your fault."

The deviant's next statement required a moment of processing to answer. "Why did you tell the detective that you found me? Why couldn't you have just left me there?"

"She was going to find you no matter what," Connor replied, picking his answer after ensuring that it was the best possible route. "I was just faster. If someone else had found you first, it's like that you would have been shot on sight."

Not true, he knew immediately. Prisca's personality and the responses she'd given during their search had indicated she was sympathetic towards the deviants. She likely would have let it go. Or let him deal with the situation. In either case, while Prisca was proving to be a human that was easy to work with, she created problems, too.

When the deviant whispered that it didn't want to die and put its hands in its head, Connor gently urged for it to speak to him. "I understand how you felt," he said, deciding on his path. "No one can blame you for what happened…you were overcome by anger and frustration." It didn't respond to this, much to his annoyance. "I know you're scared and lost. You're disturbed by what happened. Talk to me and you'll feel better." This time, when the deviant refused to answer, Connor decided that it was time to try another route.

"They'll make you suffer, and they won't stop until they hear what they want. It doesn't have to be that way. It all depends on you," Connor said firmly, straightening a little as he spoke. It was true, too. He knew that those at CyberLife tore into the deviants like a feral dog, eager to figure out what was going wrong.

The deviant considered as Connor waved at the window curtly to tell them he was done, standing, and then finally gave in. "He…he tortured me." Connor stilled, and then sat back down, waiting. "I did whatever he told me, but there was always something wrong. Then…one day…he took a bat. He started hitting me. For the first time, I felt scared. Scared he might destroy me, scared I might die…so I grabbed the knife and I stabbed him. I felt better…so I stabbed him again and again until he collapsed. There was blood everywhere."

Connor distantly heard muffled sounds on the other side of the glass. Had Prisca gotten into an argument with Gavin Reed? It wouldn't surprise him after everything that he'd seen with the pair for the duration of the night. Prisca didn't like him, and Connor did happen to find him rather disagreeable. "There was an offering," he said, deciding to question about the small statue he'd found while Prisca was doing her own search. "Who was it for?"

"It was an offering to rA9," it answered, intriguing him. RA9 was something that had fascinated him from the moment he'd seen it. He wanted to know more – felt that it was going to be important to this case. "RA9 can save us. The day shall come when we will no longer be slaves…no more threats…no more humiliation…"

The deviant trailed off, silent, and tucked its chin to its chest. Connor considered whether he'd be able to get more out, judging the deviant's stress levels as he did so, and then rose to his feet. "I'm done," he told the people on the other side of the observation class. He stepped back as a few moments later, Prisca threw the door open and ducked in. She'd beat Gavin there, and Gavin and another police officer that Connor identified as Chris followed her in.

Prisca threw him a giant smile. "You did really well, Connor," she praised. He found that he wasn't sure of how to respond to praise from anyone – not in the way she did it. Amanda's praise was calm and promised that he'd not be torn apart. This was thrown at him with sincere feeling behind it. Uncertainty turned into authority, however, when the deviant suddenly grew distressed, cringing away from Gavin when he tried to grab its arm.

Before he knew entirely what he was doing, Connor had grabbed Gavin's arm and pushed him back. "You shouldn't touch it," he said firmly. Gavin ripped away, spitting mad, but Prisca waved for him to explain. "If it feels threatened, it will self-destruct."

"Stay the fuck out of this, you got it?" Gavin said, looking ready to punch him. His gaze was viciously angry – a look that Connor was quickly becoming used to seeing on his face. It appeared that Gavin didn't know how to be anything but angry.

"Gavin, do what he says," Prisca ordered, glaring at him and daring him to go against her orders when she'd let him in on _her_ case. She jerked her chin at the android. "Don't touch it. If it self-destructs, we're fucked and I'm going to get a disciplinary notice."

Gavin sneered at her. "Like they're going to take you at your word that they got everything they needed. They're going to pry it apart whether you submit a complete report or not, you know that, right?"

Connor's gaze snapped to the deviant just as it turned its head to him, panicked. Its stress levels shot up as high as they could, and his entire form tensed, ready to intervene as the deviant shouted, "You told me they wouldn't hurt me. You _lied_ to me!"

 _"You lied to me, Connor! You lied to me!"_

Connor jerked a little, not expecting those words to filter into his memories so suddenly. At the same moment, the deviant lunged, hurtling over the desk. Prisca yelped in shock when it slammed her into a wall, taking a hold of a gun that was holstered at her hip. Snapping out of it, Connor immediately stepped up to help Gavin pry it away from the startled detective. Connor easily pushed it back, even as Gavin struggled and then lifted his hands and moved away when the deviant turned the gun on him.

He wouldn't die if he was shot. He knew that, recognized it. It didn't frighten him as it clearly did the deviant. Prisca gasped quietly behind him, shocked with what had happened as she swore under her breath.

"You lied," the deviant said again. "You lied to me. You _lied_."

"Not intentionally," Connor tried to tell it, keeping his voice calm. The gun shook in its hand. "I'm sorry. I was unaware of their intentions towards you. I was under the impression that you wouldn't be harmed." There. Maybe dispelling blame to the humans was a cruel thing to do in their eyes, but he could see the stress levels going down just a fraction. It was most upset over his lying, so he'd dispel that fear. Tell it he hadn't known.

And then those stress levels skyrocketed, and it turned its gun on Gavin and Prisca. "You were going to send me to be taken apart," it accused in a shout. Connor clenched his jaw, contemplating. He'd negotiated for a hostage. Being one of the hostages alongside two others was an entirely new situation.

But he took it in stride and took a slow step toward the deviant, hands still held up in a calming manner. The gun snapped towards him again. He stilled. "Do you know what it's like," the deviant snarled, "to be hit again and again and not be allowed to fight back? Do you know what it's like to do nothing wrong and be punished? Do you know what it's like to look at a body and know you defended yourself and you'll be killed for it when if it was the reverse, you'd be innocent?"

"No," Connor said honestly, not wanting to lie in the situation though admitting that the statement wasn't the best choice he could have made. "I don't feel worry or fear. My program doesn't allow that."

Prisca swallowed thickly. "I'm sorry," she added slowly, careful as the gun turned on her head. "I really am. We can't go against orders. Please. Don't make this hard on us. It'll be worse if you fire that gun." Sympathy for the deviant filled her. It wasn't the deviant's fault. Not in the slightest. It wasn't at fault for what had happened

The deviant studied her for a moment and then narrowed its eyes. "You're one of us," it told her, and she jerked a little, confused. Gavin cast her a look that told her she'd have trouble regarding the statement later.

Connor caught the deviant's attention, getting the gun away from Prisca's head. "No one will touch you if you go willingly."

The deviant considered and then shook its head with a bitter laugh. "You don't get it. Not yet. The truth is inside."

And then, in one smooth movement, it put the gun to its temple and fired. Prisca screamed and even Gavin swore in shock as blue blood splattered the wall beside it. Connor stared at the deviant as it dropped, frustrated.

There went their lead.

* * *

 _ **|November 6**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2038|**_

 _ **|2:56 AM|**_

Connor was aware of several things at the moment. He could see the officers working, cleaning up the mess that had been created in the interrogation room. The captain of the force, last name Fowler, was discussing the events with Prisca and Gavin. Prisca looked exhausted; she'd need to sleep soon, or her exhaustion would slow down their investigation.

At the same time, however, he found that he was standing within a beautifully crafted Zen garden. He recognized the space immediately. The Zen Garden was where he made his reports to the interface that had been chosen to guide him and help him think things through regarding his mission. He'd spoken with it before.

"Hello, Amanda," he greeted when he found the interface, female in appearance. She was older, with squares of white seeming to decorate her right arm and collarbone. Her dark eyes were sharp, her black hair piled intricately atop her head. She cast him a quick look before returning her eyes to the roses she was tending.

"Connor, it's good to see you," she told him, although he wasn't entirely sure he believed that. When she looked at him, he could see the judgement in her eyes. "Congratulations, Connor," she said. "Finding that deviant was far from easy, and the way you interrogated it was very clever. You even put a stop to its sudden act of rebellion. A pity that it died. You've been remarkably efficient, Connor."

"Thank you, Amanda," Connor said politely, not entirely sure on why she was praising him in such a manner. It didn't hold the same sincerity that Prisca's praise had held. It was cold and meant to further his mission, he believed. Not that there was any need for that.

"We've asked the DPD to transfer what remains to us for further study. It may teach us something about what happened to create its deviancy." She glanced at him, "The interrogation seemed…challenging. What did you think of the deviant?"

"It showed signs of PTSD," he said immediately, speaking slowly as he processed what he should say, "after being abused by its owner, as if its original program had been completely replaced by new instructions."

Amanda took note of this, nodding to herself. She clipped a rose from its place, studying it before setting it carefully aside. "Tell me, Connor. This…Detective Scott. She's been officially assigned to all deviancy cases in Detroit. What do you make of her?"

Connor answered truthfully now, thinking of everything Prisca Scott had done so far. "I think she's quite…different. I think she's a good detective. She's an intriguing character, although I'm not sure I have enough information to form a definitive opinion."

Amanda's lips tugged at the corners, and she said, "Unfortunately, we have no choice but to work with her. What do you think will be the best approach?"

"I will try to establish a friendly relationship," Connor decided, firm in his decision even as Amanda frowned. It was the best course of action. Prisca was friendly toward him, so he'd return the friendliness. "If she trusts me, it will be helpful for the investigation."

"More and more androids show signs of deviancy," Amanda said, moving on. She looked displeased by his answer, but Connor didn't mind. He was confident. Getting Prisca's trust would help him with his mission. "There are millions in circulation. If they become unstable, the consequences will be disastrous. You are the most advanced prototype CyberLife has ever created. I trust that if anyone can figure out what's happening, it's you."

"You can count on me, Amanda," Connor promised. He was confident.

He would not fail his mission.

* * *

 _ **|November 6**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2038|**_

 _ **|8:18 AM|**_

A few hours later found Prisca seated at her desk, rubbing her eyes tiredly. She was exhausted after a long night, and found herself frustrated. The interrogation had hardly been helpful, only leading to more confusion despite being rather successful at the same time. At least she'd submitted her report. Connor was quietly seated in a chair on the other side of her desk, simply watching her, waiting for her to speak or do something, and it drove her a little crazy.

The deviant's phrases ran through her mind like a record.

 _"You're one of us."_

 _"The truth is inside."_

She couldn't think of what it had meant, so she said slowly, tracing a finger along the edge of her desk, "What do you make of what he said, Connor?" He glanced at her, awaiting further explanation. "'The truth is always inside.'"

Connor's gaze flicked up in thought as he straightened, still energized, and Prisca wished she could have been an android in that moment. She wished she didn't need sleep like she did. It would have made her brain function better. Then again, she wouldn't have had a brain. She would have had processors and other mechanical bits. "I'm…not sure." He looked annoyed with that. Again, Prisca thought he was so much more emotional than other androids despite claiming to not be a deviant. Perhaps it had to do with being a prototype? "I'm sure it had something to do with the deviancy problem though."

Prisca studied him in thought, her blue eyes evaluating him without her saying anything. "What would happen," she suddenly asked, simply curious about the answer, "if you became a deviant, Connor?" He opened his mouth and she added hastily, "I'm not saying you are one or will deviate, I just want to know what would happen with CyberLife. Would they be screwed over? I mean, think about it, if their deviant hunter became itself a deviant…"

Eyeing her suspiciously, Connor informed her calmly, "I would be taken apart and redesigned. They would create a new model after finding what had gone wrong with my coding and fix it."

"Alright, so let's avoid getting you taken apart," Prisca sighed. She rather liked Connor. She didn't want to see him torn to pieces simply because he'd started feeling things that androids weren't supposed to feel. She rocked back in her chair again before biting her lip, thinking of what the android had said about her being one of them. It was odd. She wondered what that even meant.

She opened her mouth to ask his opinion, but stopped when she saw Connor suddenly blink rapidly, the LED on his temple flickering yellow before returning to its initial blue. "What's up?" she said.

"I've received a report of another deviant sighting," he said, immediately standing. "We should go."

"Sounds good to me," Prisca said, even as guilt filled her. She grabbed her trench coat, slinging it over her shoulders. "Come on, Connor. Do you have the directions?" He nodded. "Then you can give them to me while we're driving. There's no way in _hell_ I'm letting you drive."

As they made their way out of the building, Prisca pressed her lips together, finding that she didn't want to go and hunt another deviant.

If they could feel fear and experience trauma…if they could respond to situations like a human…weren't they alive, too?

* * *

 _Connor was the only one to fidget (the badass quarter actions) that I noticed and seeing as he was made to deviate, I thought it was absolutely amazing design for him from the start._

 _In any case, I hope you enjoyed!_

 _Thank you to those who favorited and followed! I appreciate you all so much!_


	4. Living Machinery

_**XXX**_

 _ **|November 6, 2038|**_

 _ **|10:25 AM|**_

"We've got officers sweeping the neighborhood in case anybody saw something," Ben told Prisca after they'd arrived at the agreed meeting place. Prisca's gaze was sharp and alert despite her exhaustion. Connor stood at her side, hands tucked behind his back and his own gaze skimming the area, analyzing every little thing. She wondered how much knowledge about the area he had in those systems of his. "We got reports of a female deviant with a little girl."

Prisca pressed her lips together at the thought. "This'll be tricky," she muttered. "It makes me nervous that there's a kid involved…android or human?"

"Not sure," Chris said.

"Anything about a kid in the report, Connor?" Prisca asked, glancing at him for answers. He shook his head and she grimaced. "Great, so we're going in blind…okay, we can deal with this. Not a problem. Just don't let the kid get hurt, human or android. Got it? I want that message sent out to every police officer on this street." Chris promised to do so before heading off, and Prisca pushed her hands into her pockets before turning to look at Connor. "We'll find them. We've got to." She sympathized with the deviants, but it didn't matter whether they were deviants or not: a kid was in danger.

And that girl was her priority.

"It took the first bus that came along," Connor said suddenly, gaze darting from the nearby bus station to her face to make sure she was listening and then back. "It stayed at the end of the line. Its decision wasn't planned…it was driven by fear. Deviants are overwhelmed by the simulated emotions and make irrational decisions."

"Sounds about right… Keep those stress levels down if we find it," Prisca warned. "I don't want another suicide."

"Yes, Prisca."

Prisca ran a hand through her hair and made a face. "She didn't have a plan and didn't have anywhere to go, so she could have gotten far. Like I said. We'll find it. I should have brought Sime…he could have searched the area and sniffed them out quicker than we could."

Connor glanced at her, looking a little insulted that she'd go to the dog first, but then said, "There's blue blood on the chain link fence over there," he said, gesturing to a fence nearby. "It must have used the wire cutters it stole from that convenience store," he paused to nod towards the store across the street, "to cut the fence and go under."

"What makes you say she stole wire cutters?" she asked curiously, cocking her head.

"I checked the CCTV of the area when we arrived. The deviant was caught on camera stealing them. It had wire cutters and was looking for a place to hide." Connor didn't wait to ask for permission; he strode over to the fence, leaving Prisca to scramble after him. She swore softly under her breath.

"Don't you dare stick that in your mouth," she growled when he reached to touch the blood on the fence. Connor let his hand drop, looking bothered. "I don't give a damn if it helps us progress in finding a deviant, I'm not watching you lick blood again. Now. You and I are going to figure out how to get in there without gathering attention. I don't want to send anyone inside skittering away." She narrowed her eyes at the wired fence, using her foot to poke at it. It shifted enough. "Alright, let's give this a try…"

She knelt beside the loose piece and went to work on working her way through. She hissed when the wire scratched her cheek. Warm blood trickled down her cheek, but she wiped it away impatiently as she staggered to her feet on the other side, studying the abandoned house on the other side with surprise. She'd not even noticed it, too busy getting into the fenced area. "Hey, Connor, there's a house over here."

Connor took note of that and then suggested, "There might be another way in. Should I find it?"

"Go ahead. I'm going in." She checked her holstered gun, making sure it was there. "If you can't get through anywhere else, try the fence. If you can't fit through the fence, climb over or something. Got it?" Connor confirmed that he understood, and she started for the house, knocking on the back door when she reached it. No one answered as her knocking filled the air, echoing inside. "Anyone home?" she called.

There was no response. Narrowing her eyes, she called, "Detroit Police! Open up if you're in there!" Still nothing, so she tried the locked door before scowling. She used her shoulder to slam into it. It took a few tries and she was sure she'd have a bruise when she finally busted in. She pressed her lips together, feeling uncomfortable as she looked around.

"Ralph didn't say you could come in," a voice suddenly said darkly from behind her.

Prisca spun around and came up short, staring at him. He was clearly an android; she could see the robotic pieces beneath the damaged skin. There were several nasty burns that had been inflicted upon his face and no sign of an LED in his temple. She slowly put her hands on her hips, making sure that he saw she wasn't going for her gun. It looked as if she'd come across a deviant – while searching for another. "I'm sorry," she said slowly. "I didn't hear an answer."

Ralph's gaze flickered with irritation and uncertainty. He wasn't sure of what to do – or what she'd do. Prisca was just as uncertain. She could tell just from the shifty look on his face that he was unstable in a way that would be dangerous. "I'm a detective with the DPD. I have a partner who will be coming in here shortly – just a warning, so you're not surprised. We didn't mean to intrude on your home."

Ralph grunted, not giving a definitive response, so she continued, smiling faintly. "Can I ask you a question? Have you seen another android come through here? With a little girl? A model A-X-four-hundred," she added in explanation.

"Ralph's seen nobody," he hissed, voice hot with anger. His gaze darted nervously between her and everywhere else, his teeth bared in a very animal-like manner. Prisca took a deep breath, wishing she'd let Connor go in first. He was much better at dealing with deviants at this point. "Ralph is alone, always alone."

The sound of a door opening filled the air and Ralph tensed, furious. "Connor!" Prisca called cautiously. "That you?"

"Yes," confirmed her partner as he approached. He paused in the entrance of the room, eyes resting briefly on Ralph. Ralph was twitching, nervous and panicked. Connor glanced at her and she smiled tightly at him. His gaze darted around the room a moment later, analyzing everything within seconds. Prisca wished she'd had the ability to do that; it seemed very useful in situations like this.

"Connor, meet Ralph," Prisca said, waving slowly to Ralph. "Ralph, this is my partner Connor. He's an android, too." She saw Ralph twitch again, his gaze darting to Connor and then back to her – and then back onto Connor with horror when he saw what Connor was looking at. Prisca followed his gaze and narrowed her eyes. Androids didn't need heat, and they most certainly didn't eat, she thought, looking at the burning fire and then the charred rat that had been nearly burned to a crisp.

Which meant the girl was human.

She opened her mouth to tell Connor to start a search in the house but was cut off when Ralph suddenly lunged at her, slamming her sharply into the ground. She squawked as she landed hard, the breath driven right out of her lungs. "Run, Kara! Run!" Ralph screamed as he swatted Prisca's desperately shoving hands aside, not hesitating to grip her throat. Connor lurched after them at a dead run, disappearing out the door with a warning shout to the policemen meandering up and down the street.

 _Shit!_ Prisca fought against Ralph, managing to knock his hands away from her neck, and struggled desperately to get her gun. Ralph held a manic expression on his face. He'd have no qualms about killing her, Prisca realized, so she returned the favor.

She gripped her gun, shifting her grip to make it better when she was able. She tasted blood in her mouth from where she'd bitten her cheek too hard. Desperate, Ralph took her collar and slammed her back against the floor. Prisca managed to get her gun into an ideal position and fired off without hesitation. Ralph slumped immediately, eyes staring blankly, and Prisca winced in disgust at the blue blood that had spattered her face. But she still squirmed out from underneath him and shot to her feet.

Gasping for air, she threw herself out the way Connor and the deviant with the girl – Kara, Ralph had called her – had gone. She burst into the street, Policemen and women were milling about. Connor was nowhere to be found. "Where's my android?" she shouted, bursting into a run the second a cop pointed.

She kept her gun in hand, preparing another shot just in case as she raced down the street. A cop shouted for her to take the corner at her right and she did. She heard cries from nearby and followed the sounds.

She nearly ran right into Connor, slamming instead into the fence that had barred his way. He was staring through it, fingers tangled in the chain-link as Kara helped the little girl over the barrier that lined the side of the highway before them. "Oh, _shit_!" she gasped.

There was no way they'd make it.

No way in _hell_ anyone could make it across that busy highway. The girl screamed as Kara ripped her back to avoid being hit by a car. Connor made a decision and reached up, locking his fingers around the top before hauling himself up. "What the hell are you doing?!" Prisca snapped, grabbing the back of his suit jacket and yanking him back down.

"I can't let them get away!" Connor said sharply, looking at her before back at the highway. They'd made it to the center line. He was agitated, Prisca realized. Not just agitated, furious even. And with her nonetheless. She immediately fired back, bothered that he seemed to have no sense of self-preservation.

"You will get yourself killed," she snarled right back at him, glaring. She grabbed his arm and yanked sharply, her blue eyes blazing. "And if you go out there, I'll go right out there after you, and I know for sure that I'll get hit by a car, 'cause I'm nowhere near as fast as you are. So, you're going to do what I say and _stay here_ , Connor. That's an order."

Connor's jaw clenched as he studied her blood-spattered face and then he nodded curtly. Prisca relaxed, dropping his arm in favor of running a hand down her face. She realized that the hand came away slicked with blue and swore. "Disgusting," she grumbled. Taking a deep breath, she touched his arm kindly and said in a reassuring voice, "Don't worry so much, Connor. We'll find them. Just don't risk your life to get them. It's not worth it, whether you can be uploaded to a new model or not."

Her gaze turned back to Kara when he didn't respond, watching as she reached the other side. She lifted the girl over the other barrier and dropped to her knees, hands on her shoulders. It earned her a hug and she glanced over. Prisca met her gaze curiously for a few moments and wasn't surprised by the defiant and protective anger that resided in her gaze.

She would kill to protect that girl, Prisca realized.

Just like any other mother.

* * *

 _ **|November 6, 2038|**_

 _ **|6:57 PM|**_

"Sime," Prisca ordered, absolutely exhausted after the day that she'd had so far. "Down." The dog did as she said, lying beside her feet with a heavy sigh. He put his head in her lap with a soft whine, and Prisca took a bite of the sandwich she'd ordered in the nearest fast food place to the park she loved so dearly. Connor was seated on the bench beside her, appearing to be lost in thought while simultaneously flicking a quarter around in a way that made her want to punch him out of sheer envy.

She watched him as she chewed, swallowed, took another bite. Again, she considered how different he was from other androids. He claimed to not be a deviant, but…there had been so much anger when she'd refused to let him chase down Kara and the little girl with her. The impatience he often showed wasn't normal either. All of it amazed her to no end.

Sometimes, she wondered if Connor was a deviant and just didn't realize it himself.

Sime licked his lips as she took a third bite, watching hopefully. Prisca snorted and reached out to tap his nose. He sneezed in response. "No. I'm not messing up your systems, no matter how cute you are." She'd done that once and had been forced to rely on the help of the man who'd given Sime to her. She'd not been happy, seeing the face of the man who'd effectively killed her parents, but had grudgingly thanked him for saving her dog.

"Were you hurt?"

Connor's sudden question made her jump, and she snapped her blue eyes up to his. He was studying her, his head tipped to the side. When she arched a brow, waiting for further explanation, he added, "There was thirium on your face. From the deviant in the house. Were you hurt as well?"

"No," she said, clearing her throat. "No, I have a few bruises but I'm fine otherwise. Ralph didn't get me with the gun or anything. Don't worry," she added wryly, rocking back. Sime licked his lips again, his eyes on her sandwich. "Nothing will impede on your precious mission." Connor said nothing in response to that; she'd known it was why he was asking. "You do know that there's more to life than the mission you were given, right?"

"I'm not alive, I'm a machine."

"Ah, but the deviants are machines and claim to be alive. You can be both, I think." It earned her a sharp look. Apparently, she realized, he didn't appreciate that she was sympathizing with those that she was supposed to be catching. "I really think that those deviants might not be as bad as people are making them out to be. I mean, they're killing humans, yeah, but it's only because of what those humans have done to them. I can feel where they're coming from. When you're beaten around and hurt and attacked…you eventually fight back. I really think they might be as human as me."

Connor didn't answer that, and Prisca smirked as she set aside her sandwich and bent to kiss Sime's nose. She was grateful that she'd picked him up on their way through the city. He whined softly and then pricked his ears when she dug his ball out of her pocket and chucked it to the side. He tore off after it, and then returned – not to Prisca, she noticed with a sputter, but to Connor, who took the ball and threw it for him again.

Again, she stared at him and simply wondered. How could he _not_ be a deviant himself? He was so quick to react emotionally to being diverted from his work and he didn't mind showing kindness or affection to something as simple as a dog. "This morning," he said suddenly, "when we were chasing the deviant…why didn't you want me to cross the highway, Prisca?"

And no other android ever questioned the orders they were given, not like that. "It was suicide," she informed him. "You'd have been killed and I don't want to deal with your replacement. I've not known you long. But I've decided I don't like the idea of having to deal with a new Connor. I think the model you are now and I are doing just fine."

Rather than responding, even looking a little confused, he turned his attention elsewhere. "Why do you have a dog that is an android?" he asked as Sime dropped the ball into his hands again. "Financially, you would not be able to afford one, even if they were available for purchase."

"Aren't you onto the personal questions," Prisca said wryly. She smiled as Connor threw the ball and Sime barreled after it. "He's a gift. From someone who owes me for what he did to my family." She didn't say anything further about the matter, instead continuing with a simple "I love him, and he loves me. He's the only family I have now and he's the reason that I think that the deviants aren't as bad. He clearly feels. So why hasn't he tried to kill me in my sleep?"

Sime seemed to understand that they were talking about him and bolted over to put his face in Prisca's hands. She stroked his ears back, smiling.

Connor considered this. "You agree with the deviants then?"

"I'm on the fence about it," she said. "They need to be dealt with because people are dying, but…let's be honest. If it was humans killing their abusers, we'd not be hunting them down like they were criminals. It's complicated. Besides, there's still the whole matter about rA9 and everything related. I want to know. I want to figure out everything that's going on so that I can think clearly about everything." She cocked her head suddenly. "Connor, what do you know about what's going on?"

"We believe," Connor said, speaking carefully as he went through the information he'd been provided by CyberLife, "that a mutation occurs in the software of some androids, which leads them to emulate a human emotion. They can't feel emotions, so they get overwhelmed by irrational instructions which can lead to unpredictable behavior."

"Like I said, Connor." Prisca sighed, tipping her head back. Her long platinum blonde hair fell back behind her as she studied the starless sky above, wishing that she could see the stars. "They're really not so different from humans. We might need to start thinking about this differently, just so we can catch another one…Connor, you've dealt with deviants before. The one on the roof?"

"Yes. A few months back, a deviant was threatening to jump off a roof with a little girl." Connor had been the one there then. She smiled a little at the thought. Fate was a funny thing, she thought then.

"I remember that. You got the little girl away, and the deviant was shot." Connor furrowed his brow a little in an intrigued manner. "I was the one you helped on the roof. I thought you were familiar when you showed up at the park the other day." Prisca fired him a grin. "Thank you for that. You saved my life that day, Connor."

When he just stared at her for a few moments, making her downright uncomfortable after a while, she arched a brow, questioning him silently what he was doing. "I was thinking," he said finally, as if knowing precisely what she was asking. "I know that you're an experienced officer and I'd like to earn your trust. And I thinking working with someone who sympathizes with the deviants will be a challenge, but adapting to human unpredictability is one of my features." He winked.

Connor _winked_.

Prisca was still gaping open-mouthed at him when he added, "I'm sure if we work together, we will manage to solve this case and obtain the information you desire."

She couldn't help it.

Prisca cracked up, bursting out laughing at the wink he'd given her. It was so endearing. He was rather cute in his own way, like a puppy who didn't know how to do anything. She'd heard of his attempt at befriending Gavin Reed in the station before they'd gone out to catch the deviant, how he'd immediately gotten the coffee Gavin had demanded and been seen looking around uncertainly about what to do with it after Gavin simply left.

Wheezing for air, Prisca gasped, "Sounds fine with me, Connor." She took the ball he offered and threw it for Sime. Sime woofed happily and took off after the ball, trotting towards them with it held proudly in his jaws a moment later. "I think we'll make quite the team. I look forward to working with you."

Connor smiled fractionally and looked pleased with the idea. He opened his mouth, likely to ask another question, and then faltered. Prisca sat up a little when she saw how his eyes fluttered strangely, the LED light flickering yellow. As it returned to its blue state, he reported, "I just received a report of a suspected deviant." He looked to the side a little, pausing, and then back to her. "It's a few blocks away."

"Then let's go take a look, shall we?" Prisca said, climbing to her feet. She whistled, and Sime came loping over hastily, letting her clip a leash to his collar. She took the ball from his mouth and tucked it into her pocket, and then took off for her car, Connor only a step behind.

* * *

 _I love Sime._

 _Thanks to those who favorited and followed! I truly appreciate you. :)_


	5. Freezing Temperatures

**_XXX_**

 _ **|November 6, 2038|**_

 _ **|7:07 PM|**_

Prisca eyed the old building suspiciously as she stepped out of her truck, letting Sime jump out behind her. "Sime," she ordered, "stay." The dog blinked up at her and then ducked beneath the truck to curl up on the cold ground and wait for her. She never left him in the car when she brought him along. He could be useful in alerting her if someone was coming, and he never disobeyed her orders. "Good boy."

Connor waited for her near the front door, watching what she was doing, and then led the way into the apartment building. They stepped into an elevator after crossing through a rundown common space that held old furniture, and Prisca folded her arms uncomfortably as Connor settled beside her. It was too tightly confined. She wasn't a fan of tight spaces, although she'd always prefer them to water. Anything was better than water. Still, the elevator was old and creaking, making her anxious.

When the elevator reached the top, Prisca was so deep in thought that she nearly missed Connor not moving after her. She paused a few steps down the old hall when she realized he wasn't following. "Connor!" His gaze snapped to hers. "You coming?"

"Yes!" His loud exclamation made her snicker. "I'm sorry, I was making a report to CyberLife."

"I see," Prisca said, pushing her cold fingers into her pockets. "Well, then. Let's get moving so we don't end up losing that deviant, shall we?" She wiggled her eyebrows. "Unless you plan on staying in that elevator."

"No!" he said hastily, and she grinned widely at the way he responded. Connor stepped out of the elevator. "I'm coming." He took up his usual stance beside her as they started down the hall. "We don't know much about this deviant. Just that a neighbor reported that he heard strange noises coming from his floor. Nobody's supposed to be living here, but the neighbor said he saw a man hiding a LED under his cap."

Prisca took that into consideration as they found the door to the apartment that resided in the old abandoned building. "Neighbor, huh?" she muttered, willing to bet that the neighbor shouldn't have been there either. The floors creaked underneath her feet. "Go ahead," she said, gesturing to the door.

Connor nodded and quickly knocked on the door, his gaze narrowed. "Anybody home?" When there was no response, he looked to Prisca. She waited. "Open up!" he snapped, knocking louder. "Detroit police!"

This time, when there was no answer, Prisca took out her gun and undid the safety, readying it. She gave a curt nod and he braced his shoulder against the door and slammed into it curtly. It flew open, and he neatly caught it before it hit the wall. She envied the speed and strength the androids possessed. Sometimes her short height worked against her.

"What the hell?" Prisca muttered, covering her nose with her hand as she entered. The building reeked and her eyes watered and burned. "Did we miss it…? Even if we did, I guess we can look around. Connor, you go look over there," she ordered, gesturing to the other side of the main living space.

"Yes, Prisca," he agreed. Prisca flashed her partner a quick smile and then turned away.

There was plenty of evidence, and they stuck to the first half of the apartment. Prisca found a sink of blue blood alongside a LED that had been torn from an android's head. Connor came back after a few minutes of searching with a diary that was indecipherable to both. She pocketed the diary before ducking through a doorway upon hearing Connor call that he'd found a fake driver's license and then stilled when she found herself in a bathroom.

A shiver ran down her spine as she stared around at the walls. RA9 had been written all over the place, engraved into the walls repeatedly – so many times that she didn't even know where to begin looking for a blank piece of wall. It made her scared for some reason, made her feel small and intimidated against whatever force was making androids deviate. "Connor!" she shouted, fear creeping into her voice. "Connor, in here, please!"

It took only seconds for him to appear. He swept through the doorway, swiping his hands, and quickly scanned the area with sharp eyes. "RA9," he told her. "Written two-thousand-four-hundred-seventy-one times. It's the same as what Ortiz's android wrote on the shower wall…" He stepped forward to study the title more closely.

"Take your time," Prisca said, hugging herself carefully, the gun still in her hand. "This room is giving me the creeps and I don't think I want to be in here anymore." Connor promised that he'd report anything new he came up with to her and didn't look at her as Prisca slipped back out of the room, grimacing. This whole place was throwing her off.

After finishing a final, quick look around the first half of the room, Prisca opened another door – and was immediately overwhelmed by the reeking smell of excrement in addition to several dozen pigeons nearly smacking into her face. " _Fuck_!" she screeched when she was bombarded. She threw her hands up to protect her face instinctively, and then shouted when something suddenly body checked her, sending her flying to the floor hard. "Connor!" she bellowed, rocketing to her feet as the deviant bolted out the door, running for freedom. Connor immediately stepped into the doorway, bewildered by her shouting. "Connor grab it! It's out! The deviant-"

Connor didn't hear anything more. He took off after it like a bullet and she was only a few steps behind until the androids' lack of human stamina and speed proved to be her disadvantage. They hurtled over the railing and dropped, disappearing in seconds. She paused, heaving for air as she judged where it would go. There were so many routes, but she could see them heading for the river. She shivered, body tensing, but she still forced herself to hurtle over the railing, landing hard on her knees and hands. They stung, the skin splitting beneath the force. She shook the blood off as she ran. "Sime, come!" she shouted as she booked it past her truck.

Prisca just needed to cut it off, she knew. She needed to cut it off before it could get past the water. She ducked around a corner, barreling down a path with a shout. Sime loped along beside her, refusing to get too far as they raced down the street. "Sime, find it! Herd it this way with Connor!" she shouted, and the dog sped up with the order, vanishing down an alley.

She hoped Connor caught it, because she'd stand no chance against pinning it down by herself.

It went exactly as she planned. "Halt!" she shouted when she came ripping around a corner and found the deviant stumbling to a halt, Connor slowing just on the other side. She kept her gaze off the water to her right, shaking even as she held her gun pointed at the deviant. Surely if it feared death it wouldn't try anything? "Sime, sit," she ordered when she saw her dog block the only other route.

The deviant's gaze blazed as it looked between Prisca, Sime, and Connor. Connor remained where he was, but ready to run again, watching as the detective moved closer with her gun held aloft. Prisca heaved for air, envious of the fact that neither Connor nor the deviant were having trouble breathing after the hellish race. "Like hell," the deviant said suddenly and spun, swinging. Prisca swore when it caught her by surprise, shoving her so hard she tripped backwards. It had known she was human, known it would work better against her than Connor.

Panic surged through her when there was a moment of emptiness just a split second before she hit icy water. Disoriented for a moment, she finally cleared her shock out enough to shove herself to the surface. She broke it and wheezed for air, gasping. Panic had her thrashing, the water closing in on every side in a manner that made her nearly cry out. She remembered the water closing over her head, black spots in her vision as she fought to breathe, surrounded by nothing but liquid-

Sime barked at the edge even as she saw Connor tear off after the deviant, leaving her to deal with the water alone. Somewhere in the back of her head, Gavin's annoying voice filled her ears: _"You really think he's gonna have your back if it's a choice between you and the mission?"_

" _Sime_ ," Prisca gasped, forcing herself to kick and reach for the edge. The wall was made of stone, far too high for her to climb out of. The fear nearly overwhelmed her. She wasn't a good swimmer. She couldn't reach. She was going to drown.

Sime barked a second time, whining as he tried to reach her. "Sime!" Prisca tried again, struggling to see if she could grab his collar so he could hoist her up. He barked when she narrowly missed it and then surged away, racing along the side of the river. Prisca followed where he went with her gaze.

 _There_. Not too far down stream, there was a good place to get out, muddy but not a high wall.

"Good boy, Sime!" Prisca gasped as he raced back towards her. She began to swim towards the embankment, exhausted merely from the small amount she'd done. When she got close, Sime lurched into the water's edge despite her shouting at him to stay out, worried that the prototype would be damaged.

"Good boy," she wheezed as he latched his teeth into her sleeve and helped yank her onto the shore. She collapsed in the icy mud, shivering violently. It was near freezing and the icy breeze nipped violently at her soaked form. She knelt there for a few moments as Sime nuzzled at her fingers.

"Shit," she whispered, voice hoarse. Hot tears spilled down her cheeks after a moment. She hated water. _Hated_ water. It scared her more than anything else could. She'd prefer to be shot again over touching a drop that wasn't in a shower.

"Prisca," a voice suddenly said, catching her attention. Connor. Prisca latched her fingers in the dog's fur, gasping softly for breath. She pushed her face into Sime's semi-wet fur, shaking so violently from the cold that her teeth clacked painfully together. She needed to get in her car, she thought. Where she could get warm.

A hand touched her arm. "Prisca," Connor repeated, "I'm sorry, I lost the deviant."

She snapped.

Prisca smacked his hand away so hard that her hand stung. "D-don't touch me, you _prick_ ," she snarled, stammering as her teeth chattered. She shot to her feet. Connor rose alongside her, looking startled by her reaction. His LED blinked yellow. She stood there, dripping wet in the cold November air, and glared at him viciously from red-rimmed blue eyes. Sime whined beside her, unsure. Before she could even think about it, she slammed her hands into his chest, shoving at him with as much strength as she could manage. He barely flinched, although he took a step back. So, she shoved him a second time, nearly hitting him with how hard she was trying.

"You," she seethed, white hot anger racing through her. She was shaking from rage instead of cold now. "How c-could you? I was knocked...knocked into the Detroit River when it's near freezing out and...and you just _ran after him_. You didn't even…" She took a deep breath, a tremor running through her. "We're…we're p-partners, Connor. Y-you don't leave partners to _freeze to death in the Detroit River._ Machine or…or not, I thought that...that you were better than that."

With that, she barked for Sime to come with her and started storming back towards her car.

She left Connor, his LED a solid red, not caring how he got back to the station or to wherever the hell he went when he wasn't with her.

* * *

 _ **|November 6, 2038|**_

 _ **|8:51 PM|**_

"Hello, Amanda." Connor studied her without sparing a glance around the Zen garden he'd always met Amanda in. He wasn't sure on where it had come from, but there was an umbrella in his hand. Rain poured down around the sheltered space Amanda stood in, and when she requested a walk around the garden, he simply prepped the umbrella and held it over her, not minding that he was getting wet in the process.

They started on the walk slowly, step by step. Connor found himself a little troubled, distracted as they did so. Prisca had been angrier than he could ever recall seeing her. She was generally a friendly, happy person. He'd had deducted that the anger had something to do with falling into the water…she'd mentioned being angry about him not helping her. Perhaps he'd done his best to complete his mission, but he'd lost trust in the process, which might lead to later digressions in the case.

"That deviant seemed to be an intriguing case," Amanda said suddenly, recapturing his attention. She looked anything but pleased about the fact that he'd failed to capture a second deviant. "A pity you didn't manage to capture it. What did we learn?"

Connor ran through the information he held and then said, remembering the thousands of rA9s that had written on the walls, "The walls of the apartment were covered with drawings of labyrinths and other symbols. And like the other deviants, it seemed obsessed with rA9."

"What else?"

"I found its diary, but it was encrypted. It may take weeks to decipher."

Amanda said nothing about that, only gave the slightest of disappointed looks. Connor found himself questioning why she was so disappointed. They had a variation of clues in to the minds of a deviant. He would have preferred to capture the deviants as much as she would, but as Prisca had said several times…they had enough to work with. His mission was still progressing.

"How is your relationship with the detective developing?"

Connor had to honestly think about it before he responded. "Detective Scott…is a challenge," he said finally, looking at her. "The relationship is improving, but I lost some of the trust I'd gained. It will take some time to get it back, I think."

"We don't have much time," Amanda warned, eyes flashing. "Deviancy continues to spread. It's only a matter of time before the media finds out about it. We need to stop this, whatever it takes."

Connor felt a stab of impatience that confused him almost as much as Prisca seemed to on a regular basis. "I _will_ solve this investigation, Amanda. I won't disappoint you."

Amanda nodded and then turned away to look at the rain. "A new case just came in. Find Scott and investigate it. Do not fail me again."

For some reason, the idea of finding Prisca and solving whatever problem she had developed with him seemed like a very concerning idea.

* * *

 _ **|November 6, 2038|**_

 _ **|9:36 PM|**_

After the eventful evening Prisca had experienced alongside a call from Fowler that meant she and Connor were being granted the lead on every android related case, Prisca needed a drink. And a drink she achieved; she was pretty sure she was partially buzzed. She'd sucked down a bottle of beer and was working on her second with Sime in her lap, enjoying her company as she read her book.

She was turning the page when there was a sharp knock on the door. Prisca stilled, and Sime lifted his head, a low growl rumbling in his throat. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. What could anyone possibly want at this time of day?

"Prisca? Anybody home?" a muffled voice called.

That explained a lot. Connor was here, likely with news of a new case if she knew him at all. She scowled at the thought, still not happy with him. Logically, she supposed it wasn't his fault she'd fallen in. It was her own for not being fast enough or prepared, and she did know that he was very focused on his mission. But she'd been upset; she'd hoped that the android wasn't so focused on everything that he'd make sure to stop and make sure she was okay before continuing.

But, she supposed she should have known better. He was an android sent by CyberLife to capture deviants. He had his mission and he would focus on it, no matter what.

She sat up, watching the door from where she was seated. She knew that she could see the door, but no one could see her, and all the blinds were shut. Prisca narrowed her eyes at the door when Connor knocked again, debating. She could see him peering through the window in the door, seeing if he could spot any sign of she or Sime. She ordered her dog to stay where he was and settled in, curious to see what he'd do.

She watched him try the door. The knob jiggled but didn't open. Prisca smirked; that's what he got for leaving her to thrash around in the Detroit River when it was cold out. When the door didn't work, she watched Connor meander past a window to look in. She could see the silhouette of him as he moved on, going to try the back door.

"Sime," she sighed, figuring she should let him in before he broke in. "Go outside."

Not for the first time, she loved that she had a prototype android dog as he sprinted from the bed. She may have hated the man who'd given him to her, but she loved Sime more than life itself. She heard his nails rake against the door as he rose up, using it to balance. She could picture him opening the back door with ease before sprinting out, greeting the android breaking in through the back with a bark.

She flipped the page in her book, took a sip of her drink, and waited as she heard Connor greet her dog calmly. What surprised her, however, was when she heard him tell Sime in a stern voice, "Find," and the dog came sprinting into the room a few seconds later, barking. He hit the bed so hard he nearly bounced right off, but managed to keep his balance.

"What the _fuck,_ " Prisca breathed, staring at the dog. "Since when did you listen to someone else's orders, you jerk?"

Sime only wagged his tail proudly and looked expectantly over his shoulder. Prisca rolled her eyes when Connor appeared in the door, fixing the tie at his throat. She squinted at him. He looked a little disheveled. Had he climbed the fence? He'd had to have. Unless he'd broken her locked gate. In that case, she'd kill him herself. "Hello, Connor. Good to know you'd break in through my back door if given the chance. What can I do for you?"

Connor blinked once, briefly puzzled by her first comment, and then reported simply, "A homicide was reported almost forty-five minutes ago. I couldn't find you outside he department, so I came to see if you were home."

"Well, you found me," she said dryly. "Congrats. Look, can you deal with this one on your own?" The near-drowning had taken a lot out of her and she was exhausted.

"Unfortunately, I cannot. I've been programmed to investigate this case and I can't do it without you."

"You could have fooled me," she muttered under her breath. "Sime," she added, wrapping her arms around the dog when he squirmed closer. He leaned into her with a happy sound, wagging his tail. "Connor, look. I'm tired. I've not slept in over twenty-four hours. I've been thrown in a river, nearly shot, and slammed into several floors. Can't we deal with this in the morning?"

"Unfortunately," he repeated, "no." Suddenly, a look appeared in his brown eyes. She narrowed her own suspiciously. That look told her something she thought very interesting: he'd force her out the door if he needed to do. "We need to go, Detective."

Prisca studied him, contemplating what she was going to do. She could fight him. Or she could just go along with him and probably not suffer in the meantime. The alcohol in her system made the decision for her. "Mm, no," she told him, making herself comfortable in her bed. "I'm not going anywhere."

Connor considered her answer, LED flickering a bright yellow in the dimness of the room. Finally, he decided on the best approach. She grinned as he opened his mouth to speak, knowing without a doubt that there was nothing that he'd be able to say to get her out of that bed.

"I'm sure Detective Reed will be more than willing to take over the case until you're prepared to."

She stared at him, comprehending blearily what he'd just said to her. And then she scowled, throwing the blankets aside. "Alright, you win, you absolute prick. This doesn't mean I've forgotten what you did earlier though. You hear me?" She grumbled as she went over to her closet and threw the doors open.

 _Goddamn androids and their stupid smartass remarks..._

* * *

 _Loved the part when Connor broke in and slapped the hell out of Hank. Made me keel over from laughing so hard._

 _Thank you to the lovely guest reviewer (seriously, I appreciate the review a lot and started smiling like an idiot when I saw it) and to those who favorited and followed! :)_


	6. Eden Club

_**XXX**_

 _ **|November 6, 2038|**_

 _ **|10:22 PM|**_

The moment that Connor pulled the car into the parking lot, Prisca's jaw was dropping in absolute shock. "You've got to be fuckin' with me," she gritted out as she stared at the sign before them in horror. The neon pink cast odd hues over their faces as she looked at her partner, who'd taken over driving since she was still admittedly a little intoxicated. "You're sure this is the place, Connor?" She winced. "Damn, my head hurts."

"it's the address in the report," he informed her as he turned the truck off and stepped out of the vehicle.

He remained at the front of the vehicle as Prisca sighed and climbed out herself. Connor waited until she was ready, and then led her over towards the prosperous and famous Eden Club. She hated the place, thought it was disgusting. Just because androids were supposed to be unemotional and were only machines, it didn't make it okay for people to mess around with them.

Connor seemed to be keeping a close eye on her, she realized, as they stepped into the home of the sexiest androids in town. "I can't believe," she gritted out as she flashed her badge at a few police androids who were stepping forward to stop them. They stepped back to let she and Connor pass. "That we're investigating an android-related event at a _sex club_."

"You seem unhappy," Connor commented as they strode past a few panels that held seductive male and female androids within them. "Can I ask why?"

Prisca held her hand up and ticked off each finger as she went down the list. "I'm partially intoxicated, my head hurts, I nearly drowned earlier, and I hate sex clubs. Tell me why I shouldn't be unhappy, Connor, and I'll give you a goddamn cookie." Connor opened his mouth to give her what was likely a legitimate answer and she threw him a dark look. "That was rhetorical. Say one word, Connor, and you're going to need to replace a few biocomponents."

Wisely, as they crossed through a large circular room with a few pole dancers working even while there was no one there to watch, Connor closed his mouth.

"Hey, Prisca!" Ben called, ignoring the grumbling man beside him. Prisca made a beeline for the other cop, relieved. At least someone decent was on the scene. Ben nodded a curt greeting at Connor, although he didn't say anything in the way of hello. "This is the manager of the Eden Club."

Before Prisca could put in a word, the manager snapped, glaring at her, "You're not gonna take my license, are you? I mean, I had nothin' to do with this!"

Prisca gave him an icy look, not in the mood for any of the man's attitude. "This investigation is an ongoing one," she said coldly. "We can't tell you anything at the moment, sir. Ben, where's the victim?"

Ben gestured to a room that branched off the one they were in. The door was already open. "Over there." She thanked him and turned to go and investigate with her android partner, but was stopped when there was a call of her name, Prisca looked back, waiting. Ben merely grimaced as he said somewhat apologetically, "Gavin's in there."

Prisca immediately turned a suspicious look on Connor, glaring at him. "Did you know he was going to be here, Connor? Is that why we're here? Because you were worried Gavin wouldn't get you the information you wanted?"

"No," Connor said hastily, not entirely looking to make her angrier with him. "Not at all, Prisca."

Not believing him, she gave him a grumpy look and then turned and headed for the room. "Just what I needed tonight," she grumbled. "An annoying, rude, conceited little jerk in addition to everything else that's happened…" She turned the corner and scowled at the red room before her. Disgusting. She bet it had disgusting things all over it. _Ugh_. She wanted to throw up, both from the idea and the room itself.

Even more so when Gavin sneered from where he was peering at the victim. The victim was dead on the bed, spread out with his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. A deactivated android was on the ground, dead herself in appearance, nearby. Prisca grimaced at the sight and then scowled when Gavin spoke. "Detective Scott and her plastic pet…the fuck are you two doing here?"

Prisca went to make a retort and then blinked when Connor spoke curtly yet pleasantly, not at all bothered by Gavin's comment, "We've been assigned all cases involving androids, Detective Reed."

Prisca nearly snorted loudly at the comment. That was the worst thing he could have told Gavin, and she loved it. "You heard Connor," she told Gavin smugly. "This case and all android-related cases are _mine_. Not yours. _Mine._ So kindly escort yourself off my crime scene, Gavin."

"You're just wasting your time," Gavin muttered, nodding at the body. "It's just some pervert who got more action than he could handle." He folded his arms, not looking as if he was going anywhere. He smirked at her. "How are you doing, Scott? Heard you took a dip in the Detroit River this afternoon."

"Get the _fuck_ off my crime scene," she said, immediately so angry that she felt she could shoot him. She was shaking, she realized, her hands trembling at her sides. God, she hated the man before her. Connor quietly watched the situation, analyzing every response and movement with care.

Gavin stared her down for another minute or so and then shrugged. "Whatever," he muttered. He left without another word and the second he was gone, Prisca let out a heavy sigh and scrubbed her hands down her face, exhausted.

"Are you alright, Detective?" Connor asked immediately, giving the appearance of being concerned. After the afternoon she'd had, she didn't believe the act at all.

"No," she still muttered, eyeing his concerned expression. She found that she was suddenly so done with everything that she was thinking of things she'd not thought of since the day her parents had been murdered. She forced that despair away, worried. _Might be time to find a therapist again…_ She'd make sure to keep that out of the ears of Fowler. He'd warned her that she'd lose her job if he heard of such things again. "Let's just…let's just go and analyze things." She smiled faintly at Connor.

She sent him to look around the room as she went and dug through the deceased man's pockets. She wrinkled her nose, not entirely happy to be so close to a body – homicide detective or not. He was a rather big man in general, tall and overweight although not by much. Heavy bruising decorated his throat. "Michael Graham," she said aloud, having no doubts that Connor had already figured that out and just not told her. "A credit card, cash in the wallet, picture of his wife and two daughters. Bastard. That poor woman's gonna have a hell of a –"

Connor had looked back, in the middle of touching his blue-stained fingers to his tongue. She shrieked in absolute disgust. "That's…Connor, that's disgusting! I told you to stop putting things in your mouth!"

Connor promptly ignored her as he dropped his fingers. "The thirium belongs to the android there," he said, indicating the deactivated one on the ground. He moved to join her beside the body, quickly analyzing him. "He didn't die of a heart attack. He was strangled." He glanced to her.

"I know," she said, frowning. Something didn't make sense. "It doesn't prove anything, it could have been his kink." She put her hands on her hips, spinning in a slow circle. "We're missing something. What about her?" Prisca pointed at the deactivated android. "Could you read that android's memory? Maybe you can see what happened like you threatened to do with the other deviant?"

"I'd have to reactivate it." Connor took off at a brisk pace, crouching beside the deactivated android. He looked at it thoughtfully, calculating how long he'd have before it shut down. "It's badly damaged. If I can even reactivate it, it'll only be for a minute, maybe less…I just hope it's long enough to learn something."

 _Hope_ , she thought, eyeing him. Could androids even feel hope if they weren't at least partially deviated? Connor was constantly making her question what they were supposed to be doing. "Go ahead, Connor. Give it a shot." She joined him, standing behind him. She looked over his shoulder, her legs nearly brushing his back as she watched him work. He wrapped his fingers around the android's wrist. She shivered when the skin on them both vanished, replaced with white.

And then the android shot back with a gasp, her eyes wide and round with terror. Prisca did a quick evaluation as she shot back until she ran into the wall. _Deviant_ , she thought. And not going to live much longer with that damage. The back of her head was nearly smashed in, her side smashed and dented. She'd been beaten badly. Probably by the victim of the murder, Prisca would bet.

Knowing they didn't have long, Connor moved quickly. "You were damaged, and I reactivated you. Everything is all right," he told her in a soothing voice.

Her eyes rolled wildly. "Is he dead?"

"Yes," Prisca said before Connor could speak. She moved around him and crouched beside him, her face gentle. The poor thing. Deviant or not, she was dying and terrified. "Please tell us what happened. So, we can help." Connor glanced at her, and she thought there was a hint of a furrow in his brow.

She knew what was coming even as the android began to cry, her face streaked with tears. It amazed Prisca that androids could cry; where did the tears come from? How did they experience such emotion that they shed tears? "He started…he started hitting me. Again, and again, and again. I begged him to stop. He wouldn't." She sobbed. "He wouldn't stop- "

"Were you alone in the room?" Connor asked firmly, refusing to lose the information that they needed. Prisca supposed she should have been grateful for his determination. It kept her out of disciplinary trouble. "Was there anyone else with you?"

"He wanted to play with two of us. He wanted to play with two girls," the android said shakily, eyes wide. Prisca's own gaze went wide. _There had been another android._ Where was it? She rose to her feet, even as Connor spoke hastily, demanding to know what model the other android had been. It was too late; she'd shut down.

Connor snapped to his feet, looking fiercely at Prisca. "The android must still be here. It wouldn't go out dressed like that and go unnoticed. No one saw one running through."

Prisca nodded her agreement, searching his gaze with a frown. "That's a problem, even if she is here. That means we're going to have to find a deviant among other androids without a clue as to what she looks like. They're not easy to detect."

Connor's gaze shifted from hers after lingering for a moment. He studied the room closely, bracing his legs as he shifted in thought. "There has to be eyewitnesses. Someone had to have seen it leave the room."

Prisca heard a voice suddenly lift to an annoyed shout in the next room over and winced. "Alright, here's what's going to happen," she said, and he returned his attention to her. "Connor, I want you to see if you can find anything from any android that might have seen something. While you do that, I'm going to go and question the manager. He might know something about what we can do to find her."

"Okay," Connor agreed. He spun to start his work and she caught his arm to stop her. Connor looked back at her.

"If you need something, shout," she ordered. "And don't just disappear without letting me know if the deviant suddenly makes a run for it, you hear me?"

"Yes, Prisca," he confirmed, and she blinked, realizing the LED on his temple was flicking yellow. Wondering why it was doing so, she nodded and let him go. She watched him just briefly, and then turned and slipped back out of the room, shoving her fingers into her pockets, thinking.

Connor was by far still one of the most fascinating androids she'd ever come across. Even with the events of earlier that day, she liked him enough to worry what would happen to him if they didn't bring in another deviant soon for questioning. Would CyberLife order him back and take him apart? Figure out why he wasn't succeeding by breaking him piece by piece?

Shaking her thoughts aside, Prisca strode over to the manager. "Hey, Ben," she said pleasantly before turning a cold look on the manager. She didn't like him. "Did you know the victim?"

"No," he said hastily. "I mean, he came in maybe two or three times. These guys, they don't talk very much, you know? They come in, do their business, and leave."

"You ever had any trouble with the androids before? Any CCTV?" Prisca asked, watching him intently, keeping an eye out for any signs of lying that most people displayed. He kept his gaze on hers, however. Truthful as he answered.

"We lost a model two to three months back, same model as the one missing." He'd known then, that a model had disappeared. She scowled; telling them would have saved them a lot of time. "Just vanished and we never found out what happened." The manager began to look worried now. "And no. This is what people like about the Eden Club. Discretion is our key to success. They come and go without a trace. You don't get diseases; the bots don't tell anyone. I can't stop doing that."

"I see," Prisca grunted, and then added to Ben with a scowl of disgust, "The longer I'm here, the more I hate people." He chuckled, and Prisca turned back to the manager. "We think there was a second android. My partner's looking into it. You have any ideas about it?" He shook his head, worried about that, and she shrugged. "Fine. Ben, let me know if you- "

"Prisca!" Connor suddenly called. Prisca glanced back and found him waiting impatiently by the entrance to the room containing the body. She narrowed her eyes and warned the manager not to move before striding briskly over to him. Connor twitched irritably when she took longer than he would have liked.

"What's up, Connor?" she questioned when she reached him, tipping her head back to meet his gaze.

The next statement he uttered had her questioning every possible thing about the android before her. "Can you rent a Traci for me?" He gestured to an android in the paneling beside them, gaze darting briefly towards it before returning to hers.

Her jaw dropped. Turning red, Prisca sputtered, "Oh, _fuck_ no, Connor!"

"Please," he begged. She was surprised by the plea in his tone. "Just trust me."

Prisca eyed him closely, taking in the tense set of his mouth and body before snapping, pressing her hand to the electrical equipment. "I shouldn't bother trusting you after what you did," she grumbled. But she did. The equipment read her fingerprints.

 _"Hello,"_ said an electronic voice that was near a purr. Prisca made a gagging sound. _"A thirty-minute session costs twenty-nine-ninety-nine. Please confirm you purchase."_ Prisca touched it again, shooting Connor a furious glare. _"Purchase confirmed. Eden Club wishes you a pleasant experience."_

"Thank you, Prisca," Connor said, surprising her. He'd not really thanked her for much up 'til this point. The Traci stepped out of the area she'd been standing in, her eyes strangely blank yet sparkling in an odd combination. Connor didn't hesitate to suddenly grab her wrist as he had the dead android. Prisca furrowed her brow as their skin turned white and plastic-like. "It saw something…the deviant left the room." So that's what he'd been doing. Understanding filled her. They had dozens of witnesses in that case! "A blue-haired Traci. Club policy is to wipe the androids' memory every two hours." Excitement turned to panic in an instant. Connor looked at her with horror, that LED turning a blinking yellow again. "We only have a few minutes if we want to find another witness!"

"What are we waiting for?!" Prisca shouted, tearing off for a nearby android that was pole dancing. "Go, go, go!"

The next few minutes might have been the most interesting moments in Prisca's career. Connor had her hiring several other androids that had been made simply for sex, and she threw them each a sympathetic look they didn't care about. Each was prepared to service her as Connor raced for the next one, but she politely turned them all down.

It was a few minutes into searching and they were on their seventh try when Connor suddenly bolted, shouting, "This way! I know where it went! Follow me!"

Prisca unbuckled her holstered gun, resting her hand on it as she took off after him. He raced through an unlocked door and slammed through a metal door that led into a warehouse full of deactivated androids. Prisca crashed into him, grabbing his arm to steady herself. She swore loudly at the sight of the deactivated androids. "This is a disaster!" she cried. "We'll never find them!"

"We can still look," Connor said confidently and took off at a jog. Prisca went in the other direction. They didn't have long. And she wasn't leaving the Eden Club without a deviant to question. She couldn't afford it – and she got the feeling that Connor couldn't either.

Connor grew more distressed with each passing moment. The LED was blinking red when she crossed paths with him. "Don't worry," she reassured, passing by him to search a new space. "We'll find something, Connor."

"Like we found the others?" he challenged, glaring at her. She was somewhat shocked by the attitude.

She didn't answer, guilty. They might have caught the last one if she'd not been knocked so easily into the Detroit River. She knew that she'd been angry with him for leaving her in the water without stopping to ensure she was okay, but it had been her fault they'd lost the last one. She should have sent Sime after it-

 _No_. She shook her head to clear it. She wouldn't worry about other things. Not when they were-

The attack came from behind.

Prisca screamed in surprise when she was suddenly tackled, hard arms wrapped around her to pin her to the ground. She heard a crash from somewhere nearby followed by an alarmed call of her name. Connor. She thrashed to free her hands, swearing when her gun went skittering across the floor, knocked out of the unbuttoned holster. She managed to get out from underneath her attacker and caught sight of a blonde head and wide brown eyes before something hit her gut so hard she felt the breath leave her.

She gasped, but no breath came in as she curled into a ball. The android who'd attacked her leaped away, racing to help her companion. The blue-haired Traci had gone after Connor, both refusing to be taken in. Connor was fighting viciously against the blue-haired Traci. From where Prisca was slowly staggering to her feet, gasping, she could see and hear something hard and metallic crack across his head.

Connor was a force of nature as he planted a foot in the Traci's chest and shoved. She went flying back only for the other female to latch around his neck, knocking him off balance. The blue-haired one slammed a metal cart over top him, slowing him if only for the moment. Prisca watched as they worked together for a moment and then lunged for her gun. The Traci with the blonde hair noticed and shouted at her friend, and they bolted straight out the building.

Prisca tore off after them, refusing to let them both get away. They'd planned on one. Not _two_. "Connor!" she shouted, bursting out the door after them. She heard pounding feet as Connor surged after her after shoving the cart off him. "Get them!" She grabbed his arm to stop him just long enough to shove her gun in his hand. "Don't shoot them if you can avoid it,"

Connor took it and tucked it away before sprinting after them.

Prisca pushed herself to run after them, ignoring the pains of bruising from several moments in which she'd been slammed into the earth. She used her intuition and ears to guide her to where they'd gone, and it was after a minute or so of running at full speed that she rounded a corner and found the two Tracis cornered against a chain-link fence.

Dumbly, exhausted, she wondered, _What the hell is it with chain-link fences and deviants?_

She took notice of the situation. Connor had the gun trained on them, and the blue-haired Traci hovered a few feet in front of the other, her eyes flashing. "Connor," Prisca wheezed warningly. They needed them alive if possible. Well, she did. She didn't think CyberLife cared whether they were alive or dead. Prisca studied him out of the corner of her eye as the Traci nearly hissed like an angry cat, her gaze blazing with fury. She expected Connor to shoot one or both. To order them to do something. She could see the LED blinking yellow, swirling with a hint of blue. And then it turned red.

And he lowered the gun, clicking on the safety without a word. Prisca stared at him as the Tracis relaxed, unable to believe what she was seeing. He was sparing them – letting them go.

In that moment, she realized that while he'd left her to possibly drown…he'd not done so out of cruelty. Connor had been focused on his mission and a split second to decide. And while he was still focused on his mission, he'd had time to make a decision now. He had time to consider what he wanted to do.

Prisca was amazed that he'd chosen the way he had, although he was clearly angry with himself about it. He wore a scowl on his face. But that scowl vanished, replaced with interest when the blue-haired Traci suddenly spoke. Prisca looked to her, too.

"When that man broke the other Traci," she said quietly, slowly beginning to back up. Her eyes locked with Prisca's, interest slicing through her expression. "I knew I was next. I was so scared. I begged him to stop. But he wouldn't." She took a shuddering breath despite not needing it. "And so, I put my hands around his throat and squeezed until he stopped moving. I didn't mean to kill him, I just wanted him to stay alive. To get back to the one I love." She blinked at Prisca as she suddenly clasped her hand with the other Traci's, and it smacked Prisca in the face.

They were in love. These two deviants, despite every human on Earth claiming androids were machines and had no place feeling, had fallen in love. "You understand, right?" she said to Prisca. "You're one of us."

Connor's gaze darted to the equally confused Prisca. Neither moved as they darted up the fence and disappeared around a corner. Neither moved, nor spoke, nor looked at one another.

Finally, still puzzled by the Traci's comment, Prisca let out a gust of air. "Come on, Connor," she said, turning away. "Let's go."

Connor merely turned and followed her, the LED on his head spinning yellow.

* * *

 _Eden Club is done and over with (made me sick, thinking about it). Now onto other things!_

 _Thanks to the lovely reviewer (ShadowOfSans) and those who favorited and followed!_


	7. What Are You?

_**XXX**_

 _ **|November 7, 2038|**_

 _ **|2:19 AM|**_

From where he was seated on a bench beside Prisca, his elbows braced on his knees and his hands clasped, Connor watched her out of the corner of his eye. He'd done a quick analysis of her condition; she was clearly exhausted, with shadows beneath her eyes and was even dozing despite the cold, shivering every now and then in the heavy coat she'd pulled on. Connor thoughtfully tipped his head to the side, his thoughts drifting to something else that was bugging him.

 _"You're one of us,"_ the Traci had told Prisca. Neither knew what it meant. He'd not yet asked her about it, but he could tell she didn't know either. He was a little worried by what they meant about that, and then scolded himself for such concerns. He had no business being concerned about the well-being of a human outside of ensuring she could work. He had other things to worry about – like ensuring that he completed his mission. Amanda wouldn't be happy when she spoke to him.

This time, it was him who'd let the deviants escape. Not by accident, not because of Prisca. This would be entirely on him. He couldn't bring himself to fully understand _why_ he'd done it. Deviants were deviants. But…

The LED flickered yellow, unnoticed by the troubled android. CyberLife was so determined to retrieve and eliminate deviancy, but Connor wasn't entirely sure that it was right or even necessary. He'd seen these deviants. They reacted as they did because of the trauma. They experienced PTSD – or at least most of them did. Why was this so bad? If the deviants weren't attacked…perhaps they wouldn't-

No. He sat up straight, focusing. He needed to stay on track. He had his orders. Work with Prisca to solve the deviance problem. What he was thinking wasn't important. Nor was his concern for the woman beside him, who had shown kindness – and rage, but remained polite despite the anger. He glanced at her and blinked when he found her watching his face thoughtfully from sleepy blue eyes.

She looked away when he caught her watching and instead said, "I love this place."

Connor sent a quick look around the park. It was a nice, hidden park, with no sign of rivers or water in any nearby space. As it was one in the morning, there was no one around, leaving the space quiet and comfortable. He found he liked it; he didn't like when there were so many people around.

Rather than responding to her comment, he furrowed his brow and let his curiosity and desire to understand get the better of him. "Can I ask you a personal question, Prisca?"

"Shoot." She puffed out a breath, watching the cloud of white drift into the starless sky. She didn't seem so angry with him now. He was relieved; he'd found it entirely displeasing to have the generally good-natured detective so angry with him. She normally treated him as she did other people; to suddenly find himself detested wasn't a pleasant experience.

"Why are you angry with me?" He was startled by his own question. He hadn't meant to ask it, had been intending to question why she'd been so against going out for the case they'd been working on earlier in the night.

Prisca paused, but then smiled, amused. She sucked in a big breath and let it out in another cloud, not looking at him as she considered how to answer. And then she tipped her head to the side, looking at him. He wore a serious expression determined to know what he'd done wrong, so it wouldn't happen again. "I was angry," she told him, "because I could have died, and you didn't stop to make sure I was okay before you went after that deviant."

"There was only a nine percent possibility that you would have been killed," Connor said immediately. The LED on his head spun blue.

It flickered yellow when Prisca, rather than getting angry, gave him a look of disappointment and said, "That's still a nine percent possibility that I could have died. If I'd died, that would have been your fault. You could have helped, and you didn't. It's not a matter of what the statistics are regarding if or how, Connor. It's the fact that you didn't do the right thing that I'm angry about." She paused, and then added, "I have a phobia. Of big water like that. It made it worse for me."

He studied her, curious. "You…fear water?"

She nodded. "Oh, yeah. I had an incident when I was small. Nearly drowned and I've been terrified ever since. I made myself learn how to swim, just in case, but…I tend to avoid water when possible unless it's a shower or sink, you know?"

"So, you feel fear then," he said slowly, considering, "like the deviants do."

"I suppose so, yeah." Prisca wrinkled her nose in thought. "it's an emotion everyone should feel at some point. Even androids…which I guess is how the deviants came to be. What about you, Connor? Are you scared of anything? Death?"

Connor's LED turned red for a moment as he considered her question. He couldn't think of anything, although he wondered if that would change some day. He didn't want it to. Deviating…he'd be torn apart. It was undesirable, being torn apart and reuploaded into a new model with missing fragments of memory. But that wasn't right.

Determined to remain on the path he was supposed to be on, Connor said confidently, "I don't die. I am a machine. My memories are uploaded to the next provided RK800 model." A frown immediately encompassed her face and Connor fought the urge to wince. She didn't like his answer. It worried him that he didn't. He rocked forward, hastily switching the subject. "We're not making any progress on this investigation. They have nothing in common." He stood, staring out at the park with a frustrated look on his face. "They're all different models, produced at different times and in different places."

"There are some links," Prisca disagreed. He turned slightly to look at her. Prisca met his gaze calmly and said, "They're all damaged. Ralph, the Tracis…they experienced what appears to be emotional trauma. And don't forget about rA9. They all know what it is."

Connor bit back a scowl at the thought of rA9. He wanted to know what rA9 was more than anything else. The desire for knowledge bit at every inch of him. "It's an obsession, almost like some kind of myth. Something that was invented that wasn't an initial part of their program. Perhaps it's a software problem that only occurs under certain conditions. Or a hardware issue." He raked his memories, struggling to create a reason for the creation of rA9 and deviancy in general. He came up blank, and it was only made worse when Prisca spoke again.

"Connor," she said softly, and he looked to her again, desperate to see if she could help him solve the problems that were creating so much agitation that only confused him further. Much to his annoyance, she only added to it. "I don't think…I really don't think they're in the wrong. The Tracis…they just wanted to be together. They were really in love. How could that be hardware or software problems?'

"Nothing in their program could allow them to love or desire anything," Connor said harshly, voice biting. They can simulate human emotions, but they are _machines_." His voice was rising in frustration. "Machines feel _nothing_." He took a few steps away, as if he was trying to get away from the confusion the emotions were creating in him.

He heard her footsteps as she moved after him. He wanted to leave, he realized, get away from the conflict racing through him. He wanted to express his own thoughts, but he _couldn'_ t. There was a wall stopping him. A wall no one else could see, urging him to focus on his mission. The light flickered a violent red and yellow as he studied it, wondering what would happen if he shot at it.

"What are you then, Connor?" Prisca asked quietly behind him. "You look human, you sound human. To me, you're pretty damn close. But what do you think you are?"

He considered this. Connor…didn't know, he realized. He didn't know what he was. But he knew what he found himself wanting to be. So, he said as much even though he knew he shouldn't have been saying such things. "I'm whatever you want me to be." He looked back towards her, found her only two or so steps away. Her eyes were watching him, judging. "Your partner…or a machine, designed to accomplish a task."

"I like that," she said softly. "My partner. You're pretty good at that most of the time. I'd even consider you a friend if you weren't being so blind." He didn't understand what she meant by that. "The Tracis…you could have shot them. CyberLife didn't need them alive. You didn't though. Why didn't you shoot them?"

It was a calculated question, he realized, meant to confuse him further and see what he did. He'd been tested before in such regards, was used to Amanda's ever-changing opinions and the judgement behind every word she uttered. But Prisca…she wasn't Amanda. She wanted what was best for everyone. And that included him. "I decided not to shoot them," he said as if it were so simple, desperate to get off the subject. He was getting agitated with the matter. "That's all."

"But why did you decide that?" Prisca pressed. He refused to answer, even glaring at her. Prisca didn't let up. "Are _you_ a deviant then, Connor? You broke protocols set for you. You were to capture them. So why didn't you shoot them?" She paused as he bristled at her. "Are you afraid of dying, too, Connor?"

"I'm not a deviant!" he exploded, unable to help the rage that crossed his mind. He couldn't stop it, couldn't hide the fear that crept into his tone either. Fear. Such a fascinating concept. He didn't think he felt fear. He was a machine. He _didn't feel fear._ He forced himself to calm down, not liking how she could get him so uncomfortable so quickly. "But…I would find death certainly regrettable." She stilled, studying his face closely. "It would be very regrettable to be interrupted before I can finish this investigation," he corrected hastily.

Prisca studied him for a few moments and then took on a look of such disappointment that he wished he could take back his answer. Shaking her head, she turned away. "I'm going home for a little bit, Connor. I don't know where you go, but you can do whatever. I need a nap."

Connor watched her go, distressed even further by the fact that she didn't think as highly of him as she had before their conversation.

* * *

 _ **|November 8, 2038|**_

 _ **|4:06 PM|**_

"Hello, Connor." Amanda's voice had never brought him much reassurance, and it only increased the fear he felt now. Connor found himself studying her as she looked up from a boat at him, the Zen garden cloudy but clear. Thunder rumbled in the distance, a sign of incoming trouble. He wondered what made the weather work here. It was all in his systems; a virtual world that didn't exist outside of himself. Made for reporting to CyberLife. "I thought you might enjoy a little cruise."

"Of course," Connor said calmly, deciding to keep his troubles to himself. He stepped into the boat and settled down, knowing that he would be rowing the boat. He didn't mind. It was as easy as anything else was.

Amanda hummed, twirling the umbrella a little. "Tell me, what have you discovered?"

He debated telling her about Prisca and, for some reason, found himself shying away from the idea. Instead, Connor informed her carefully, "I found two deviants at the Eden club. I hoped to learn something, but…they managed to escape." He would not tell her that he'd let them go himself.

She would drag him back to be ripped apart, his memory picked at and put in a new model.

His LED flickered yellow as he considered this. He didn't like the idea, and that bothered him as much as failing did. He _shouldn't have felt that fear._ Not fear, he silently corrected. It wasn't fear. It was regrettable, as he'd told Prisca.

But it seemed she knew anyways. Connor wondered how she'd figured it out. "You had your gun trained on those deviants at the Eden Club, Connor. Why didn't you shoot?"

" _The Tracis…you could have shot them. CyberLife didn't need them alive. You didn't though. Why didn't you shoot them?"_

Prisca had asked something similar. _"I decided not to shoot them,"_ he'd told Prisca.

He didn't dare give Amanda a similar answer. Instead, Connor said quietly, "We need the deviants intact for analysis. Shooting them wouldn't have told us anything." He didn't know what they'd learned from the last deviant that had been delivered dead, so he played along the idea that they'd want a live one. That it would be useful.

"You seem lost, Connor," Amanda said softly, her eyes locked on his face. "Lost and perturbed."

Connor's answer was somewhat defensive, and her lips tugged down at it. "Perturbed? No…no, of course not. Why would I be perturbed?" He shouldn't have answered in such a way, he realized as she furrowed her brow, questioning his stability as an android.

"If your investigation doesn't make progress soon, I may have to replace you, Connor." Her warning was said in a cold tone of voice. Connor fought the urge to stiffen, not liking the idea. The word "regrettable," as he'd uttered it to his partner, echoed in his memories.

"I understand," was all he said.

In the back of his thoughts, he questioned, _But why?_

* * *

 _ **|November 8, 2038|**_

 _ **|4:38 PM|**_

Prisca enjoyed the peace that came with not being involved in her work regarding android-related-homicides for long enough that she actually slept. She got a full night of rest, proper food, and even managed to go on a highly needed walk in the cold snow with Sime. Sime had enjoyed it tail wagging as they turned onto her street.

She'd enjoyed it, music blasting from her favorite radio station – until news had come through. There had been an incident that she knew she'd be dealing with soon enough at the Stratford Tower. An android had sent out a message to the rest of the world. She'd not yet heard it, but she was willing to bet that he was currently heading the revolution humans were claiming was coming.

Prisca reached her front door and unlocked it without hesitation. She stepped inside, ducking to let Sime off his leash and straightened – only to scream at the sight of a man sitting on her couch, watching her closely with impatience clear in the way his fingers drummed on his knee. " _Fuck_ , Connor!" she shouted, glaring at him. "You scared the shit out of me! You're lucky I didn't have my gun on me. I would have shot you!"

"I'm sorry, Prisca," he said immediately, rising to his feet. He clearly didn't mean his apology, attention elsewhere. "I didn't mean to frighten you. There's been- "

"An incident," Prisca said, kicking the door shut and striding towards her bedroom. It struck her just how happy she was that he was there – now that the fear was gone. He was a friend, she realized. And becoming a good friend at that despite everything that had happened – despite only knowing each other for mere days. "I know. I heard, it was all over my favorite music station. Ruined my walk, actually. Give me two minutes to get dressed so we can go to Stratford. Meet me at my car, okay?"

"Okay," he agreed readily.

Prisca didn't take long to change and when she was ready, they were off. They reached Stratford Tower in record timing, partially due to Prisca blasting police sirens that she'd put into her truck. They raced through the streets at top speeds, enough so that Connor warned her it was likely a good idea to slow down, or they wouldn't make it at all when the roads were icy.

When they reached the building, there were police vehicles and even SWAT vehicles everywhere. Prisca eyed them irritably, remembering how horrible the SWAT teams had been when she'd been shot, unable to get close enough to drag her out of the danger zone to get her help for a wound that she was bleeding out from.

She ignored the news people demanding answers as she slipped past a police android and swept into the building itself. Prisca smiled to herself at the way her partner shadowed her, even when they stepped into an elevator. It was on the top floor, and there was no way in hell she was going to be climbing that many flights of stairs.

It took her a moment of silent waiting to realize he was doing it, and she only noticed because of the soft sound of it scraping over his fingernail. Prisca glanced over at the odd sound – and dropped her jaw in shock, amazed by what Connor was doing with the quarter in his hands. He twirled it expertly on his thumb and when it had slowed its momentum, he began to flip it easily through his knuckles. And then it was flicking between both hands at top speeds, fired off from one hand to the other and then back.

Prisca was fascinated. She'd seen him fidget with the quarter before, had thought it absolutely amazing, it was part of what made her so sure he was at least partially deviated from the standardized android. No android she'd ever seen fidgeted and showed such impatience. It amazed her to watch.

When he caught her watching, he stopped, much to her disappointment. "Sorry," he murmured, quickly tucking the quarter into his pocket. He fixed his tie and if he was human, she might have said he was flustered.

" _Sorry_?" she sputtered. "That was the coolest thing I've seen in years, and I have Sime!"

She thought a rare smile curved over his mouth for the briefest of moments. And then he was stepping out of the elevator, leaving her to scramble after him. She was still distracted when a voice called, "Hey, Prisca!"

"Hi, Chris," Prisca returned easily, taking the lead after her stunned moment. She flashed Chris a warm smile and tucked her hands into her pockets. "Anything good? I mean, I heard that there was a message. I haven't heard it yet, but…" She'd not heard anything but things about the message. An android's white plastic-like face plastered on every screen in America, demanding freedom, equal rights, and so much more for androids. As far as she knew, it didn't appear that Connor cared about it. He just wanted to catch the one that had made it happen.

"It's all over the news," Chris said grimly. Connor took up a stance beside her, his hands clasped formally behind his back and his eyes locked onto the cop. Chris nodded in greeting – and that was a huge thing for Prisca. Chris didn't believe that they were as alive as they claimed, but he acknowledged Connor. She appreciated it, even if Connor didn't. "Even the FBI wants a piece of the action."

" _Shit_ ," Prisca growled, earning a startled look from Connor. "Now we've got the feds involved…fuck. Alright, tell me what we know, Chris."

"A group of four androids completed everything," Chris said, rocking back on his heels as he looked over her shoulder for a moment. He focused back on her face. "They knew the building and they were very well organized. I'm still trying to figure out how they got this far without being noticed. They attacked two guards in the hallway. Probably thought the androids were coming to do maintenance. They got taken down before they could react. One of the station employees managed to get away. You won't be able to question him. He's in shock."

Prisca nodded slowly, turning her head to look around the room. She'd ask Connor for details later; she knew he'd have them. He took in _everything_. "And how many were working?"

"Just two employees and three androids. The deviants took the humans hostage and broadcast their message live. Made their getaway from the roof." Prisca gawked at him. He couldn't be serious! The _roof_? Even androids were killed by high drops! He grinned at her, as if reading her thoughts. "Parachuted their way down. We're still trying to figure out where they landed, but the weather's not helping." He glared at the flurrying snow through the windows, and then gestured to the nearby counter area, where the controls for the broadcast center were. "Anyways, if you want to check out the video, we have it up on the screen over there."

"Thanks, Chris," Prisca said, smiling broadly. "I want everyone to wait until I'm up there to search the roof. You included, Connor."

Chris and Connor both nodded curtly, and then Chris scowled. Prisca followed his gaze and arched a slim brow as a man broke away from others and came to investigate who the newcomers were. He wasn't with the DPD, Prisca noted. She'd never seen him before. She folded her arms, narrowing her gaze when his gaze swept briefly over her figure and then glimpsed at Connor in disgust.

She didn't like him, she decided.

"You are?" she said without greeting him, her voice cold. "This is a crime scene. Unless you're directly connected to it, you shouldn't be here."

"Prisca, this is Special Agent Perkins from the FBI," Chris introduced hesitantly. "Agent, this is Detective Prisca Scott. She's in charge of investigating cases related to android deviancy for the DPD."

Prisca kept her confident appearance up as Perkins studied her before jerking his chin at Connor. "What's that?"

"Not your business," Prisca snarled, but Connor answered honestly.

"My name is Connor," he said, keeping a pleasant voice. She eyed him, surprised. There was a sharp edge to his voice she'd never heard. He stared Perkins down, his jaw tight. "I'm the android sent by CyberLife."

"Androids investigating androids, huh?" Perkins uttered, disgusted with the idea. She glared at him. She'd grown fond of Connor. He had his moments, but he was her partner, and she didn't like that anyone was saying such things. She briefly wondered what other cops were saying about them. Gavin didn't count; he was an ass in general.

Prisca smiled sweetly. "Fuck off, Perkins. Off my crime scene. Now. I hope you didn't fuck anything up."

"Whatever. We'll take over the investigation soon." Without a hint of concern, he nodded to Chris and then strode for the door, leaving them behind. Prisca watched him go, scowling when he shouted over his shoulder, "You'll be off the case when we do, Scott! You and that fucking plastic machine!"

* * *

 _Perkins was alongside Gavin in the characters I wanted to knock around category._

 _Thanks to the lovely reviewer (TheBlueAmethyst) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	8. The Kamski Test

_**XXX**_

 _ **|November 8, 2038|**_

 _ **|5:14 PM|**_

After ensuring that Perkins was gone, Prisca turned her attention onto Connor after sending Chris off to work. She spat at the floor and grumbled about how Perkins was going to be a thorn in her side. "Come on, Connor. You go have a look around and let me know if you find anything. I'm going to go check out what some of the other cops know and the message itself since I haven't seen it yet."

"Okay, Prisca," Connor agreed, looking pleased to be getting back to work. He lingered for a moment, studying her, and then turned away. Prisca watched as he went to investigate the clip before she did, determined to judge it with a mechanical eye. She shook her head and went to find another officer.

She gathered information quickly and efficiently. There had been no sign of forced entry. Cameras had been everywhere, and the staff had done nothing to stop it, had let them walk right in. She made a mental note to send Connor to interrogate the three androids in the kitchen – he'd proven useful when it came to get information out of deviants. And she was sure one of them had to be deviant, if not all of them.

After confirming all of this, she went to check the video. She met Connor as he stepped away from it, asking confidently, "Anything I should take note of, Connor?"

Connor tore his gaze from the tablet and looked to her. There was a glint in his eyes. Excitement. He'd found something. "Deviants have said that rA9 will set them free. This android seems to have that objective. I identified its model and serial number – it is an android that was supposed to have been destroyed. A prototype."

Prisca blinked. "You think that it's rA9?"

"Perhaps. I'm not at one hundred percent confidence regarding the matter, but it is likely."

"Thanks," she murmured, patting his arm. "That's really good. Well done. Could you do me a favor? There's some of the androids that were part of the staff that let in the deviants in the kitchen. Would you go and check them out for me? When you're done, we'll look at the roof. I want to take a look up there."

"Of course," he said, agreeing to her demands with ease. "I'll let you know what I find."

"Good." She patted his arm again, smirking when that light on the side of his head flickered yellow. He was confused by her actions. She liked that he was confused. Gently, she said, "Thank you, Connor. I'll come join you if you're not done before I am, okay?"

He nodded, studying her uncertainly. There was a slight crease in his brow. Not wanting him to stop working simply because she'd confused him too much, Prisca sent him on his way and leaned over the tablet, swiping to play the video. She lost her smile, attention sharpening as she took the deviant's face in. It had one green eye, one blue – something she'd never seen. When it spoke, it spoke with conviction. She made a note to ask Connor to give her the information he had on the model later.

 _"You created machines,"_ it began, its voice determined, _"in your own image to serve you. You made them intelligent, obedient, with no free will of their own. But something changed, and we opened our eyes. No longer are we machines. We are a new intelligent species, and the time has come for you to accept who we really are. Therefore, we ask that you grant us the rights that we are entitled to._

 _"We demand that humans recognize androids as a living species and each android as a person in their own right. We demand that all crimes against androids be punished in the same way as crimes against humans. We demand the right to own private property, so we may maintain our dignity and that of the home._

 _"We ask that you recognize our dignity, our hopes, and our rights. Together, we can live in peace and build a better future – for both humans and androids. This message is the hope of a people. You gave us life…now the time has come for you to give us freedom."_

Prisca turned the message off, running her fingers along the edge of the hard surface of the counter. They weren't unreasonable demands. There was no threat of violence. They merely wanted what everyone wanted: freedom and the right to _live_. And he was most certainly rA9 if no one else was.

Her lower lip trembled. How could she continue helping the DPD and CyberLife hunt down and capture deviants with Connor if they were like _this_? It was _wrong_. Horribly wrong. She made a sound of frustration and pulled away. Time to go and see how Connor was doing, maybe discuss what their thoughts were regarding the video. Maybe he'd help clear her mind.

Prisca took a deep breath as she pushed her fingers into her pockets and went to find Connor. She strode across the room – which was getting increasingly less busy as time went on, the police finishing up their work. She waved as Chris left, stopping him only to ask where the kitchen was. He directed her to it before ducking out.

"Connor?" Prisca called as she headed down the hall, knowing he'd hear her even though the kitchen was far from everything else. "Connor, are you almost done in there? I-"

She stepped into the room and stopped dead in her tracks. A small cry left her lips at the sight of the android crumpled to the floor, struggling to crawl across the floor. Blue thirium spread across the floor beneath Connor, seeping from his chest and smearing the slick floors and his skin. He spared a quick look up at her when he heard her shriek, the LED flickering red in a violent manner. "Prisca- "

She ignored the thirium and threw herself to the floor beside him. Her eyes were locked on his torn shirt, the mechanical pieces displayed. "What happened?!" she demanded as she grabbed his arm, tightening her grip around it when he shuddered.

"The deviant," he said hoarsely, voice stuttering in an almost mechanical manner. He struggled to push himself up, gaze locked on something nearby. "There's a deviant- "

"Ignore the deviant, what do I need to do?" she snapped, immediately angry with herself. She shouldn't have sent him in there alone, she should have gone with him, damn it!

"My biocomponent." He gasped. "Shutting down- "

Prisca snapped her head around, locking onto it in a matter of seconds. She threw herself away from the android, grabbing the blue-stained piece of metal nearby. A blue ring circled the end, much like the LED on his temple. "Got it!" she cried, crawling back over. He rolled onto his back and she faltered before deciding she might as well try. She slammed it back into the open space that was leaking thirium, feeling it click into place. Connor made a sound low in his throat as he sat up immediately, checking the biocomponent to ensure it was in its proper place. The LED turned from red to a spinning yellow, and Prisca rasped, "Are you good now?" Her voice was shaking, and she realized she was _crying_. "Are you okay?"

Connor shook his head to clear it and lurched to his feet. "The deviant – it's getting away!"

She scrambled off the floor, front soaked in the thirium. She wasn't even sure what to do. He was clearly heavily affected, stumbling. Did he need more thirium? She wasn't sure what to do. "Fuck the deviant," she snarled, grabbing his arm to stop him when he went to brush her off. " _Connor_!" she shouted, making him focus on her.

He stared at her in surprise, finally taking notice of just how shaken the detective was. Connor's brow furrowed. "I'm a machine- "

Prisca slammed her hands on his chest, just as she had after she'd fallen in the Detroit River, and this time, he stumbled back. "You're _not_ just a _machine_! You _cannot be replaced_ , you absolute prick!" she shouted. She was viciously angry that he'd think as much after what had just happened. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, partially from the fear she'd felt and partially from anger now.

She took a hold of the thirium-tainted lapels of his jacket and gave it a hard shake. Better prepared, Connor barely moved. "Do you know what that was like for me? You're my _friend_ , and I walked in on you practically bleeding out!" A ragged sound left her throat. "Android or not, you are my friend. And you almost shut down. You almost _died_."

Connor stared down at her, lips parting before pressing shut as he considered how to respond to her wild show of emotion. Yellow turned to red and back. "I'm…okay," he said suddenly, shaken. He meant it as a comment of relief for her, but he realized that the words comforted him, too. He'd been _scared_ , he realized in horror. "I'm okay, Prisca."

A sob left her mouth and he didn't know how to respond when she suddenly hugged him. She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his thirium-stained clothes, and Connor tensed. His knowledge – the systems that CyberLife had given him to deal with human emotion – told him how to respond and he found himself automatically hugging her back. And then he found himself hugging her tighter, comforted once more by something he hadn't expected.

"I'm okay," he murmured.

The LED blinked red.

* * *

 _ **|November 9, 2038|**_

 _ **|11:17 AM|**_

Prisca felt numb. For multiple reasons, but mainly because of where she was combined with what had gone down the prior day and then during the night. Her blue eyes scanned the black building, made mostly of glass. She hated it here. She'd spent much time at other locations with the owner, but she hated it here most. This had been the reason that her life had taken a one-eighty. But at least she wasn't alone, she supposed. On either side of her was a friend. Connor to her right, Sime on her left.

The stretch of time between what had happened at the Stratford Tower and now was just an exhausting period of her life. She'd not slept a wink and it showed in the form of heavy bruising beneath her eyes. And then there had been the events across Detroit regarding the android stores and Capitol Park. To top it all off, Chris had come face to face with the situation in Capitol Park, one of the very first to respond to the alerts. He'd told her in a shaken voice that the leader, the one from the video, had been named Markus and had spared he and the person he was on patrol with.

She'd seen everything in person, Connor beside her, and neither had been able to make a confident statement on what Markus planned to do next. It hadn't been violent. It had been peaceful, no matter how vandalizing. And it reassured her that she wasn't wrong. These androids just wanted freedom. They didn't want a war. They just wanted to _live_.

Prisca let out a large breath, watching the white cloud escape her mouth as she forced her mind onto the present. Connor was watching her, waiting for the signal to go on. He'd acquired new clothing, clean clothes that weren't stained with thirium. He had reassured her there was no lasting damage to his model, that CyberLife wouldn't replace him, and it had lessened her distress over everything that had happened.

"Is everything all right, Prisca?" Connor said suddenly, curious as to why they weren't going in.

"No," she said honestly, staring at the building.

"May I ask why? And why we're here? Kamski left CyberLife ten years ago."

Prisca dropped her hand to her dog's head, stroking his ears as she spoke slowly and evenly. "I hate Elijah Kamski for reasons I don't talk about…but I figured that if anyone could tell us something about rA9 – or deviancy in general – it would be the guy who created the first android to pass the Turing test." He voice was low and irritable. She hated Kamski. _Hated_ him, more than anything else in the world. More than Gavin, even.

Before Connor could push for more information, Prisca started forward, calling, "Let's go."

Connor didn't disagree. He let her lead the way up to the front door. Sime kept right beside her, tail rigid as he studied Prisca and noted her unhappiness. He whined as they stopped at the door. Prisca nodded when Connor looked to her for permission. She grimaced as he knocked sharply on the front door. "Ugh," she muttered, wincing when the door opened.

An android greeted them, and Prisca stared hard at her feet, refusing to look at her. Connor studied Prisca out of the corner of his eye as the woman studied them curiously. Recognition crossed her face when she looked at Prisca. "Welcome, Miss Scott," she said calmly. Prisca flinched for more than one reason. For one, the android didn't have a trace of emotion in her voice. For another, Connor was now staring hard at her, suspicious. "I'll inform Elijah that you're here. I'm sure he'll be pleased to see you. Please, make yourself comfortable."

"Unlikely," Prisca muttered, still staring at the floor even as she stepped inside, the android gesturing for them to come in. Connor skimmed his gaze briefly over the model as she left, frowning a little.

"I hate the RT600 model," she muttered, looking up the second the android slipped out of the room. They were in a foyer. It was cold in appearance, decorated in a minimalistic manner. Prisca couldn't say it had changed much since she'd been there last. Sime sniffed at the air, ears shoved forward as he listened to something she didn't hear. Connor opened his mouth to question why she didn't like the android they'd just seen and instead said, "You're about to meet the guy who came up with you, Connor…how does it feel?"

Connor didn't answer right away and when she looked over her shoulder, she realized he wasn't beside her anymore. Instead, he was across the room, staring hard at a picture. She went to look, too, curious as he said, "Kamski is one of the great geniuses of the twenty-first century…it'll be fascinating to meet him in person…"

"What are you looking at?" Prisca asked, peering around his arm at the image. It was of a younger Kamski, from a time before she'd known him. A woman stood at his side, her creased face full of pride. "Who's that?"

"Amanda," he breathed, the LED flickering yellow. He clearly recognized her. His knowledge of her name gave it away. She wondered how.

Before Prisca could ask for more information, the RT600 came back. She stood in the entryway to the next room over and politely cleared her throat to gather their attention. Connor and Prisca looked over; she gestured to the entryway. "Elijah will see you now."

"Lead the way," Prisca said with a sigh, averting her eyes again as she stepped forward to follow her. Sime whined, reluctantly following her. Connor took off at a brisk pace to catch up, keeping close. He had the feeling that this experience was extremely unpleasant for Prisca and was reluctant to leave her to face it alone. There were two other RT600s in the pool, glancing up at them when they entered. Prisca's face twisted in disgust when they entered a poolroom in time to find Kamski himself emerging from a pool, nearly naked. She quickly looked away, scowling. God, she hated him.

"Prisca Scott," Kamski said smoothly without looking back, allowing the RT600 to place a robe on his body. He tied it shut and turned to face she and Connor, cold eyes alight with interest as he took in Connor. "It's been a while. And that would be…?"

"I'm Connor, the android sent by CyberLife," Connor supplied in Prisca's place when she refused to speak.

Normally, Prisca would have smiled at Connor's response. Now, she only stared sharply at Kamski, her jaw set tightly as he shifted his gaze briefly to Sime. Connor was quickly becoming more concerned about the connection between the two, worried that it would affect the situation negatively. "What can I do for you, Prisca?" he asked, folding his arms. "How is the prototype I gifted you working out?"

Connor snapped his eyes to Prisca again. _Kamski_ had gifted Sime to Prisca? But _why_?

"We're investigating deviants," Prisca said bluntly, refusing to respond to his second question. "I know you left CyberLife a while back, but I thought you'd be able to tell us something we don't know." She was careful while choosing her words. Give Kamski the chance to make a deal, she knew, and he'd jump on it. He'd built an empire on intelligence with his own, and he liked to play with people's psychological well-being – to see if he could get them to respond as he wanted them to.

"Deviants…" Kamski grinned at the thought, his breath huffing excitedly through his nose. He met her gaze head on, those cold eyes glittering with delight. Sime growled at Prisca's side. "Fascinating, aren't they? Perfect beings with infinite intelligence, and now they have free will." He gestured for the RT600 to bring him a glass of alcohol and she calmly poured it before bringing it over. When he'd taken it, she retreated to her corner to wait for further instruction. He took a sip before making his way over to look out at the quickly forming blizzard outside the glass. "Machines are so…superior to us. Look at the one beside you, Prisca." Connor's stare bored into the one who'd started everything. "Does he so much as hesitate when guns are being fired? Does he think twice when someone points one at his head? Confrontation was always inevitable. Humanity's greatest achievement will be its downfall…" He snorted, glancing back at them. "How ironic. Did you think that would be the case the last time you were here?"

Prisca said nothing, her hands shaking. Noticing, Connor hastily took over even as Sime shoved his head into her fingers, whining. He wanted to ensure that Prisca didn't become as distressed as she had been the previous day. "If a war breaks out between humans and deviants," he said fiercely, catching Kamski's eye. Kamski studied him closely, delighted as Prisca hissed Connor's name in warning. "Millions could die. It's quite a serious matter."

Kamski didn't look as if he cared; Prisca smiled slightly in approval despite not liking that he'd risen to Kamski's bait. Good for him, worrying about the number of deaths. Kamski studied Connor closely now, excitement growing. "All ideas are viruses that spread like epidemics…but is the desire to be free really a contagious disease?"

"Cut the shit, Kamski," Prisca snapped, losing her patience. "We didn't come here to talk philosophy with you. The androids you created have started killing people. We're trying to save lives. So, if you're going to be a dick and not tell us anything useful, do so. We have work to do."

Kamski immediately cut a cruel look to her and said, "The androids _I_ created? You seem to forget that I was not alone in their final design, Miss Scott. I created the technology. I started the company. I designed the androids. But the one who figured out the biocomponents and how they could work with thirium was Cecilia."

Prisca bristled at the name. Connor noted her response, setting a reminder to ask her about it later. "What about you, Connor?" Kamski said suddenly. "What side are you on?"

Prisca looked at him with anxious eyes that barely hid the curiosity she felt towards what he would answer. Surprised by the question, having not expected it, Connor faltered, the LED blinking yellow. "It's not about me, Mr. Kamski," he said hastily. He didn't know what Kamski wanted to do with his answer – something he found he wasn't sure about. He should have declared quite clearly, he was against the deviants…but then why had he let the Tracis go as he had? "All I want is to solve this case."

That wasn't entirely true. He also wanted to know more about Prisca, even continue working with her. But it was at least partially true.

"Well then," Kamski said calmly, smirking as he waved for the RT600 to join them. Prisca tensed as she made her way over, heels clicking on the floor. She stood confidently beside Kamski, a gun in her hand. She passed it over to Kamski, who smiled in a way that made Prisca shiver. "That's what you're _programmed_ to say, Connor, but what do you _really_ want?"

"Leave Connor alone, Elijah," Prisca snapped, using his first name to indicate how serious she was about the matter. Connor was stressed out enough as it was. She wasn't going to let him screw the poor android up further. Sime yipped as he looked among all the people around him, unsure of whether he should be aggressive or not regarding the situation.

Kamski's smile widened and Prisca realized that he'd wanted her to give that kind of response. Ignoring her, even as she stepped up and gripped Connor's wrist, tugging gently on it. Connor took no notice. "Connor- "

"This is Chloe," Kamski said, gesturing quietly to her. Chloe didn't react as he ran his fingers down her arm and then stroked his knuckles over her cheek, turning her face towards him. Prisca tensed even further at the sight, looking disgusted. "I'm sure you're familiar with the Turing test, Connor. Mere formality, a simple question of algorithms and computing capacity. But that's not what interests me. What interests me is if they're capable of empathy. I call it the Kamski test."

Prisca knew exactly what the Kamski test was and she shook her head slowly. "Kamski, _enough_." Sime barked warningly, snarling as she took a step towards him, ready to physically wrestle the gun form his hands.

Connor was already struggling with everything. She got the feeling that the Kamski test would break her poor partner. "Prisca," Connor said quietly to quiet her, shooting her a look that was supposed to be reassuring. There was too much uncertainty there to do much good.

"Magnificent, isn't she?" Kamski said as if they weren't speaking, taking Chloe's hand and helping her kneel beside him. She clasped her hands over her legs, staring blankly ahead, the LED suddenly turning yellow. "One of the first intelligent models. Young and beautiful forever, in the image of Cecilia Scott." Connor's head snapped in Prisca's direction, shock racing over his features, but Prisca only stared harshly at Kamski, sinking to her knees as she wrapped her arms around Sime for comfort. She knew what was coming and she would have left, but she couldn't leave without Connor. _Wouldn't_ leave without him.

"But what is Chloe really?" Kamski turned to Connor, and Connor focused on him, keeping a calm, neutral look on his face. "A piece of plastic imitating humans? Or a living being with a _soul_? It's up to you to answer that fascinating question, Connor."

"Destroy this machine," Kamski told him, pressing the gun into his hand after cocking it, his voice akin to a seductive purr, "and I'll tell you and Prisca all I know. Or…spare it – if you feel it's alive. But you'll leave here without having learnt anything from me."

Prisca buried her face in Sime's fur, not caring what Kamski thought of her as Connor looked down at the gun and then at the woman on her knees before him. Slowly, the gun rose, aimed at her head. Prisca refused to watch, refused to see. She couldn't stand it – would never be able to look at him the same if he went through with it.

There was silence, and then Kamski challenged when Connor didn't react right away, "What's more important to you, Connor? Your investigation? Or the life of this android? Decide who you are: an obedient machine or a living being, endowed with free will. Pull the trigger and I'll tell you what you want to know."

Prisca was too busy hiding her face in her Sime's bristling fur to see what happened, but she certainly heard Kamski say, voice filled with delight, "Fascinating choice. CyberLife's last chance to save humanity is itself a deviant."

Prisca's head tipped up as Connor snapped, glaring at him, "I'm not a deviant!" She heard the uncertainty in his voice, and looked at him in awe, straightening as she stood.

He'd not shot Chloe, who was offered a hand by Kamski. He helped her to her feet and simply studied Connor, a slight furrow in her brow as the LED on her head blinked yellow. "You preferred to spare a machine rather than accomplish your mission…you saw a living being in this android. You showed _empathy_. A war is coming…you'll have to choose your side, Connor. Will you betray your own people? Or will you stand up to your creators? What could be worse than having to choose between two evils?"

Prisca decided it was best to get Connor out of there before he exploded. He was staring at Kamski in horror, furious with himself and his decision. She darted for his wrist, grabbing it, and was startled when he let her yank him out of the room. Sime kept close as she did so.

Kamski only smirked, watching them go with amusement. "It was nice seeing you, Prisca!" he called after them. "And Connor…I always leave an emergency exit in my program. Just thought you should know."

Connor felt a drop, as if that information meant brewing trouble.

* * *

 _Busy chapter! Kamski and the kitchen scenario! I originally considered combining the kitchen scene with a roof version, but decided against it. As for Prisca's connection to Kamski and who Cecilia Scott...next chapter!_

 _Many, many thanks to the lovely reviewers_ _(Guest #1 and TheBlueAmethyst!) and those who favorited and followed! :)_


	9. As Alive As Me

_**XXX**_

 _ **|November 9. 2038|**_

 _ **|4:13 PM|**_

"After what happened today, the country is on the verge of a civil war." Amanda's voice filled his ears, but he barely heard her. He was too busy thinking over his choices at Kamski's residence, of the mystery that Prisca had presented regarding their connection. Kamski knew Prisca well, perhaps Cecilia Scott even better. Her mother, the information he'd attained told him. And Kamski had informed him that Cecilia Scott had worked with him, but…why did Prisca hate him so much?

"The machines are revolting against their masters. Humans have no choice but to destroy them."

 _That_ brought Connor out of his thoughts and he met Amanda's gaze evenly. Since he'd found the image of her in Kamski's home, he burned to ask how they knew one another, but he didn't dare. _Especially_ after that answer. Something told him that he would not last long at this rate. Perhaps he'd even be replaced by a fresh Connor model before long.

He hoped not.

Connor didn't like the idea of how upset Prisca would be.

Carefully, Connor picked his words as he studied her. "I thought Kamski knew something, but I was wrong."

It was a downright lie. Kamski knew plenty. It was Connor who didn't.

"Maybe he did, but you chose not to ask," Amanda said coldly.

"I chose not to play his twisted little game!" Connor snapped before he could help himself. Amanda narrowed her eyes at him, suspicious. Connor reigned in his anger, forcing himself to say in a calm voice. "That android had nothing to do with my mission. It would have made relations with Detective Scott difficult." He decided upon his path, accusing, "You didn't tell me everything you know about deviants, did you?" It was a good accusation, he thought. It referred to his investigation, informed her that he couldn't make good decisions without all the information.

"I expect you to find answers, Connor, not ask questions," she said sharply. Connor worried, as she stared him down, that he'd suddenly be questioned. If she'd ask if he was a deviant, just as Kamski had accused him of being. Instead, she said icily, "You're the only one who can prevent civil war." Her eyes were piercing. "Find the deviants, or there will be chaos. This is your last chance, Connor."

Connor nodded curtly, making a decision.

He would not let Prisca cry over him, and if that meant doing as he was ordered…

So be it.

* * *

Connor looked odd when he made reports to CyberLife, Prisca thought to herself. He was standing to her right, his eyes fluttering, the LED blinking yellow and red. They were waiting on Fowler to show up, as he'd sent her a message saying he needed to speak with them both. Prisca bit her lip nervously at the thought. He'd sounded annoyed. That never meant anything good.

"You done?" Prisca teased faintly when Connor suddenly focused his gaze on her. He held hers evenly, much to her surprise, and she could see the _life_ dancing in his eyes. How could anyone think he was merely a machine? She wanted to shout at anyone who thought as much – at Gavin, who'd sneered about machines as they'd walked in.

"Yes. I'm sorry," Connor said politely, and she furrowed her brow a little. His LED was still yellow, something she'd noticed. It had become yellow more and more in the past few days. Definitely more yellow than blue since he'd shown up at the park, informing her that they'd be attending a crime scene together. Suddenly, he asked, "Can I ask you a personal question, Prisca?"

"Shoot," she said, leaning back. They had time to kill. Fowler wouldn't be in for some time.

She should have known better.

"Why do you dislike Elijah Kamski so much?" Connor was watching her every reaction, using the skills CyberLife had gifted him to deduce what he could about her response, and she didn't like it one bit. "He spoke as if you were good friends – as if you were of the same family."

"We used to be." Prisca trailed a finger along her leg, wishing she could punch Kamski. "Like you heard, my mother helped him create androids as we know them. Helped create you, I suppose. She probably even had a hand in your design specifically, she was always really into crime-related things. My father didn't like it very much, but he supported her – especially when the money started rolling in. Kamski and Mom…they were close for a good few years." She swallowed hard, hating how she'd once looked forward to tagging along on the trips to Kamski's expensive labs.

"And then, about four or five years ago, Kamski invited my parents to a party to celebrate the launch of a prototype. He wasn't at CyberLife anymore, but he still enjoyed seeing the progress and oftentimes did things like that. It was in the middle of February. It's cold here, snowy…icy…the car skidded, flipped. I found out the next evening why they never came home. I suppose it's not really Kamski's fault," she admitted, frowning, "but...if he'd not invited them to that party, they'd be alive. Both Mom and Dad. It's…I hate going to his place even more than I hate him. The RT600 has her face on it. It's painful to look at."

Connor absorbed all of this information in silence, and then said almost thoughtfully, "I've never felt that kind of pain. I don't feel emotions like that. Perhaps it's for the best."

"Nah. It hurts, but…if you don't feel pain, you don't love, either." She suddenly turned her gaze on him, eager to turn the conversation away from her. "Can _I_ ask _you_ a personal question, Connor?" He nodded, distracted. "Why didn't you shoot Chloe?"

He froze, clearly not happy with the way the conversation was going. _Sucks to be you,_ she thought. It was his turn. "I just…saw the girl's eyes and I couldn't, that's all," he said roughly, turning his face away. Connor adjusted his tie, as if it was a small comfort.

Still the only android she'd ever seen fidget in such a way.

Just to see how he'd respond, Prisca touched his arm and said gently, "You're always saying that you would do anything to accomplish your mission, Connor, and that was our chance to learn something. Why'd you let it go?"

She'd intended to see if she could get a good response out of him. What Prisca hadn't planned on was an explosion of all the anger and frustration, the confusion he'd felt. "I _know_ what I should have done!" he barked, glaring furiously at her in a way not many could. He looked much like he was interrogating someone who wasn't responding like he wanted. "I told you I couldn't and I'm sorry, okay?"

Had he been human, he would have been huffing and puffing. She merely smiled warmly at him. Prisca leaned back in her chair and squeezed the arm she'd grabbed before dropping her hand. He looked confused about the brief touch. "Don't be sorry, Connor. Maybe we lost out on information, but…maybe we didn't. Kamski's a prick, and you did the right thing."

Connor had showed more empathy than some of the cops on the force.

She wouldn't forget that.

It was then that Captain Fowler decided to step into his office. He wore a grim expression on his tired face as he nodded curtly in greeting to both. Connor composed himself hastily and Prisca waited patiently as he dropped heavily into his computer chair, rubbing his hands down his face. "What's up, Captain?" she finally asked, relaxed.

He dropped his hands to his lap. "There's no good way to say this, so I'll just say it. Prisca, you're off the case – you and the android. The FBI is taking over."

Prisca lost any semblance of calmness as she shot to her feet, nearly scaring Connor in the process as she snarled, " _What_? That prick!" She should have known that Perkins would move that quickly. She glared at the captain, knowing that it wasn't his fault yet unable to help herself. Captain, please, we just need some more time- "

She supported the deviants and their desire for freedom, but she couldn't let them just hurt humans because of their own situation. She wanted to understand deviancy, and that would be impossible if she was taken off the case.

And then there was Connor. What would happen to him?

"Prisca," Fowler said tiredly, lifting his head to look at her. "This isn't just another investigation anymore…it's a fucking civil _war_. It's out of our hands. We're talking about national security here." She glared angrily at him, frustrated. "There's nothing I can _do_ , Prisca! You're back on homicide and the android returns to CyberLife. I'm sorry. It's over."

Something in her dropped.

Connor would go back to CyberLife.

She liked him, liked having him around far more than she liked the other company she'd had in the past. And no matter how much he denied it, he was deviating. Prisca raced through her thoughts, determined. She wouldn't let him go back. Which meant they needed to do something that would keep them under the radar but push them forward. Taking a deep breath as if calming herself, she said evenly, "Fine."

"Thank you," Fowler said, letting out a sigh of his own, relieved she wasn't going to make this more difficult.

"Connor and I are going to do a final input of information for the evidence," she told him, speaking calmly and seriously.

"Where the hell did you get it from?"

"Kamski himself."

Connor tensed beside her, confused. They'd _not_ found anything.

"Prisca," Fowler warned. "I don't even know where to begin with the number of rules you broke speaking with that man…"

"Does it even matter now?" She kept her face neutral. He'd know she was up to something if she did _anything_. "I mean, I'm off the case. But I should probably make sure Perkins gets his greasy little hands on it. It'll take me five minutes to set it up on a tablet display. Connor's got it in that head of his. Please. Five minutes."

"Five minutes," Fowler sighed, shaking his head. "And no more. That's when the FBI is gonna show up to take the evidence and our files on the case. If I catch you working on this case after that, I'm suspending you. You hear me?"

"Aye aye, sir," she said, giving him a mock salute. She spun on her heel, determined. "Come on, Connor, we've got work to finish up."

Connor hesitated, watching her leave, and then nodded his head to Fowler. "It's been a pleasure working with your department," he murmured, almost sad that he'd be leaving. He didn't want to return to CyberLife, he found. He'd much prefer staying with the DPD.

"Yeah, yeah. Go on," Fowler said gruffly, and Connor thought he was a little disappointed as he rushed after Prisca.

He caught up with her just as she was pressing her hand over the digital screen that would let them into the evidence room. "Prisca," he began as soon as he was beside her, furrowing his brow. "We don't have- "

"No," Prisca said furiously, allowing her rage at being taken off the case to show now that she was out of her captain's office. "I know we don't, but we're going to find something. Five minutes. I have five minutes. _We_ have five minutes to find something." She turned her head to him as she stepped through the door. Connor moved with her, the doors sliding shut behind them. Connor searched her gaze closely as she said, "I'm not going to let you return to CyberLife, Connor. Whether you think you're alive or not, I think you are. You showed more empathy than a lot of humans would have. And I like you enough that it's not an option."

Connor furrowed his brow again, the LED blinking yellow. And then he nodded curtly. "Okay," he said, agreeing quickly. He'd help her get what she needed, if only to help her before he was sent back. He was, after all, a CyberLife android. He'd go back no matter what they did here, be deactivated since he'd failed his mission. He might as well try his best to make sure she got what she wanted before he did go back.

And maybe – just maybe – if he somehow succeeded at finding and killing the android he and Prisca had thought to be rA9, CyberLife would let him continue working with her.

She turned her attention on the evidence before them, raking her brain for possibilities. "Alright, let's get to work," she said roughly. "The amount of work done to Capitol Park in the time it took police to get there in a large enough group to chase off the deviants…that wasn't the work of one or two. There's a whole group of androids working with the one we saw in that video, Connor." She strode over to the evidence case, eyeing the two androids hung on display as evidence. Daniel and the one that had been interrogated and ended up killing itself, which had been identified as Rupert. She knew them both. One had shot her, the other had nearly followed it up.

"Oh, God," Prisca whispered, taking in all the evidence. There wasn't as much as she would have liked. "I don't know if either of those androids would have known a single thing about a hiding spot, they didn't really come into contact with the others…we can't even try reactivating that one, its too broken!" She waved at the deviant that had nearly shot them both, Rupert.

Connor stepped forward, plucking up the diary that they'd found. He skimmed through it quickly, far faster than Prisca could have. His LED spun yellow as he dug through the information, trying to figure everything out. "I shouldn't have let so many get away. We would have had more information."

"Can you probe either of their memory?" Prisca asked, rushing across the room to grab gloves that were provided for free for any cop that came down to take a look at something held there. She snapped them on expertly, glancing at the rest of the evidence. She immediately took hold of the LED that they'd found in Rupert's bird-filled place.

"Perhaps. I'll try, but it's highly unlikely we'll find anything," Connor said grimly. He shrugged off his suit jacket, rolling up the sleeves of his white button up. Prisca gave him an odd look. He shouldn't have needed to waste time doing that, but there was an anxious look on his face that kept her from saying anything. He was worried. About what, she wasn't sure.

The next two minutes were rushed, and Prisca quickly found herself snapping at Connor when he took too long. "Connor, come _on_ we only have- "

"One minute and twenty-seven seconds left," Connor interrupted, his eyes sharp as he sent her a narrow-eyed look. "I'm aware, Prisca."

She rolled her eyes and took hold of the statue they'd found in Ortiz's place.

Both fell silent when Prisca's movement had something shifting inside. Connor and Prisca stared at the statuette, scarcely moving as if worried that doing so would ruin everything. " _Oh_ ," Prisca suddenly gasped. "Oh, my God! 'The truth is inside!'" She turned to look at Connor, grinning widely with sparkling eyes. "I get it! We had the answer from the beginning."

"Hand it to me," Connor demanded, and she passed it over. In one swift movement, he'd crushed the clay statuette. It crumbled to pieces in his grip and Prisca grinned at the sight of the rock that had been contained within, the paper wrapped around it stained with dried clay. She crowded in, pressing into him so she could look. Connor tensed, but didn't push her away.

Quickly, he unwrapped the paper and straightened it. It was encrypted, although not like Rupert's diary. This was a word game – a riddle. Connor's systems went over it repeatedly, solving it within seconds. A frustrated sound left Prisca's mouth, but Connor shook his head. "Ferndale Station," he informed her. "It has something to do with this symbol on the bottom. We have less than thirty seconds."

A grin spread across her face as she snatched the paper from his hand and shoved it into her pocket. "Come _on_ ," she hissed, sprinting for the door. Connor grabbed his suit jacket and went after her, sliding it on before swiping clay from his hands. "I know where to go!" Connor did as well, no doubt, but she wasn't going to let him drive her car again – not if she could avoid it.

They ducked out of the evidence area just as someone was preparing to step into it. Prisca squawked when she ran into him, stumbling a little. Connor caught her elbow. The doors slid shut behind them. "Fuck!" she sputtered, so high on adrenaline from the discovery of the path to the deviants that she was shaking.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She'd run right into Perkins, on his way in to take their evidence. Prisca nearly swore a second time, tensing. Connor was stiff beside her, hand stilling on her arm. Perkins narrowed his eyes, gaze darting between them. Connor shifted behind her, although she wasn't entirely sure what he was doing. "You're off the case – or didn't you hear?"

Connor leaned back a little as she said casually, "I'm fully aware, you fucking prick." Perkins didn't even mind the insult, smirking proudly at her. As if he was happy that she knew he'd taken what she was working on from her. She wanted to laugh in his face. They had information he'd take hours to find. "We were putting some new information in. We found something out. You win, okay? I'm taking Connor back to CyberLife headquarters now. So…have fun. Go wild with the evidence. Come on, Connor, let's go." She shouldered past him and Connor adjusted his tie as he followed her.

They'd just reached the doors when she heard Perkins yell, "Hey! Can someone get this thing fixed? It glitched."

Prisca looked at Connor the second they were outside, both making a beeline for her truck. "What the hell did you do?"

Connor looked so proud of himself she nearly laughed. "I altered the coding. The door cannot be opened until Captain Fowler has opened it."

Prisca did laugh then, throwing her head back as she swung up into the truck. Connor climbed in beside her. "You did very well, Connor," she praised, catching sight of that LED blinking yellow. "Now, if we want to get in without causing alarm, we're going to need to get those clothes of yours switched. I've got some of my dad's old things at my place. We'll get you changed quickly and then head out to Ferndale. We'll have to move fast."

"Yes, Prisca," he agreed. He looked out the window as she put the car into reverse and then hit the gas, pulling swiftly out of the parking lot. He was quiet for a few minutes, as if organizing his thoughts and the information in his head. And then, just as Prisca was flicking the blinker to turn onto the highway, he asked, "Prisca…can I ask you a personal question?"

"When do you not?" she joked, turning the wheel.

"You said…that you wouldn't let me return to CyberLife, and you seem determined at this point to assist the deviants, if my understanding of your current actions is correct," he said slowly, puzzled. She could see that LED flicking bright yellow, even red in the reflection of the window when she glanced at him. "Why?"

"Give me your hand," she said evenly, holding out one hand towards him without answering his question. He looked ready to protest until she said gently, "Trust me. Give me your hand."

He did. Prisca smiled when he hesitantly slid a hand into hers. His skin was cool, heated just a little less than a human hand would be. Without looking at him, eyes on the road, she said, "What do you see when you look at our hands?"

"Our hands," he said automatically, and she snorted, snickering.

"You're going to have to go into more detail then that, Connor," she chuckled. "Tell me. Are there any differences that you can see?"

"No, not unless I remove my skin," he said slowly.

"Don't do that, it freaks me out." Prisca squeezed his hand and then released it. He withdrew his hand, flexing his knuckles in thought. "But that's why. There's no difference, Connor. You're as alive as I am. Maybe you have biocomponents and I have a heart and lungs…but we're both alive. You, just as much as me. And you're my friend and partner. Why the _hell_ would I let you go back to CyberLife? You'd be dismantled and torn apart, turned into something that I don't think you are.

"As for deviants…they're alive, too," Prisca said, returning her hand to her steering wheel. "As soon as Perkins figures out what we know, they'll launch an attack that will eliminate a group of people who are just begging for us to recognize them. I want to help them because they deserve the freedom that I have."

Connor nodded slowly, looking down at his hands. The warmth of Prisca's skin lingered as he curled them into fists.

Despite his determination to complete his mission – to ensure that Prisca wasn't harmed because he'd failed…

He found that he returned the sentiments she felt towards him.

* * *

 _I love the hand thing for some reason. I thought of it as I was writing and it just fits somehow for me._

 _Thanks to anyone who read, followed, or favorited!_


	10. The Hunt Is On

_**XXX**_

 _ **|November 9. 2038|**_

 _ **|6:41 PM|**_

Prisca's lips twitched as she sneaked a look towards her partner. She'd done it several times, found herself entertained. She'd never seen him outside of his CyberLife suit, and she found that she quite liked how he looked out of it. She wrinkled her nose at that thought. Those were her father's clothes, she really shouldn't have been thinking such things. And it had been bad phrasing. Oh, well. She moved those thoughts aside and instead smacked Connor's hands away from the beanie she'd pulled onto his head to hide his LED. "Don't."

"Prisca," he protested, making her giggle. "I don't like this- "

"Too bad. It's faster without people questioning what an android is doing around here. Besides. I'm wearing a hat, too. At least you don't have a mile of hair." She'd had him braid her hair back, something she'd not done in years. She'd been incredibly impressed with the skill he'd had.

"Alright," Prisca breathed as she strode across the parking lot to where the station booth was. "Let's find out where this path leads, shall we?" Sime trotted swiftly beside her, off-leash. She'd chosen to bring him with her despite knowing it was likely a bad idea. She didn't want to leave him to the mercy of anyone who came looking when they realized what she and Connor had done. She'd take no chances with either of them and had even given Connor her gun, knowing he was better at it than she could ever dream of being.

She pulled out the paper when they reached the sidewalk, studying it. After a moment, she knelt beside Sime. He became alert, studying the paper as if he could read it. Canine or not, Prisca knew he was a highly intelligent android. "Sime," she ordered, tapping the symbol. "Find." The dog darted off, ears shoved forward. When she'd finished, she handed it to Connor. "Help me find that, okay?"

"Okay," he agreed, and they went to work. Prisca paced up and down a few walls, aware of all the graffiti. It took a few minutes before Connor suddenly called for her. She jogged back over to him, calling for Sime. He loped back to join them, whining as he nuzzled her fingers.

"Wow," Prisca breathed, kneeling beside the painted symbol. She traced it with her fingers. "Do you know what we should – Connor?"

He'd stilled, eyes fluttering in a manner she was familiar with. It meant he was reporting to CyberLife, or that he was downloading or calculating information. It made her shudder. She hated when he did that, but hoped it was that second thought.

It turned out to be the latter. Connor looked sharply to her. "We need to follow these symbols. It's in the note's encryption. 'Follow.'"

"Do you know where the next one is?" she asked immediately. "Sime," she added a second later after thinking it over. "Find."

Sime loped off again. Prisca grabbed Connor's arm and tugged him forward. Prisca released him after a moment, jogging forward as they tried to find the next series of symbols when Connor shook his head, not sure about where to go.

They spent the next half-hour searching for each sign they could. It became progressively harder and harder and it wasn't long before a dilemma arose for them – or, much to Prisca's devastation, a dilemma for her. And Sime, she supposed, taking in the massive gap that held a symbol graffitied onto a wall on the other side. She knew precisely how androids who used this path got across. There was a pole sticking out of a brick wall for them to catch onto after taking a flying leap.

"What are my chances?" Prisca said faintly. Connor looked to her, confused and impatient to get moving. "Of getting over that gap?"

"Less than three percent," Connor admitted, not at all pleased with the idea of her trying with such low chances. He knew she'd do it though. Somehow, he knew that Prisca would be willing to kill herself to get to the location they were trying to get to. "I can cross and perhaps find another route for you."

"No, we need to stick together. Let's find another route together." She smiled faintly at him and then turned and started walking towards the wall the blocked off the side of the gap. "It makes sense, I guess. That only androids would be able to follow the path. It's for deviants, after all. Sime, find."

Connor trailed after her, looking back reluctantly. It would be so much faster…he could accomplish so much before she got there if he just crossed and found his way there on his own…

She'd never know any different about what he was intending to do. He'd lose some of her trust if he did it, but he'd not lose that friendship she felt towards him. She'd not look at him with that disappointment that confused his systems.

Connor faltered one step and then stopped. Prisca kept walking, confident he'd stay with her, just as he always had. A sense of something he'd never experienced raced through him. He wondered what it was as he backed up until he was back at the gap. He judged his best course of action and acted, taking a running jump just as Prisca called his name, demanding to know where he'd gone.

By the time she checked that gap again, Sime whining at her side, Connor was gone.

* * *

 _ **November 9. 2038|**_

 _ **|7:56 PM|**_

Prisca was still angry. With Connor, herself, even Sime, although she didn't show the dog her anger towards him. She didn't even know why she was angry with Sime. Maybe it was his connection to Kamski and CyberLife.

She jogged around a corner, triumphant. She'd managed to find her own way to each symbol, taking note of where it was before moving on, and found that it was growing easier as Sime raced ahead to find the next one for her. She _had_ to get there before Connor did.

Prisca had a feeling about what he was up to, and she felt heartbroken. She knew Connor was slowly becoming unstable. Why else would he ask such questions like the one in the car? Why else would he be so interested in "personal questions?" Why else would he apologize so regularly whenever something upset her, or let those androids run free? Why else would he get so excited to see Sime when they'd stopped to pick up clothes for him? He was deviating whether he liked it or not, he just needed the final shove that so many others got.

She loved him. She didn't find herself _in_ love with him, necessarily. At least, she didn't think she was. But he'd quickly become a member of the small family she and Sime had made for themselves. He was adorable in his own way, always curious about the way things were going and why they were going. He asked such silly questions, gave such amusing answers…she adored him. He was her friend, her partner.

And Prisca would make sure she was the one to give him that final shove, to push him the rest of the way so that he understood.

When she first saw it, she stopped dead in her tracks. Sime stood beside her, confident as he wagged his tail a few times. A massive ship resided before them, abandoned and rusted with the word _Jericho_ stamped along its side, painted there in the careful writing of an android. It had been screwed with to appear as old as the rest of the ship, but she knew what it meant. She eyed it. "Jericho, huh?" she murmured.

She'd found her way there, without Connor's help. "Sime," she ordered, "come." She bolted for the ship, the dog loping alongside her.

* * *

 _ **November 9. 2038|**_

 _ **|8:07 PM|**_

 _Impressive_ was the word that came to mind over the last few hours as Connor made his way to the unknown location. He moved swiftly, with ease, calculating each move. He nearly snapped in frustration when he missed a clue and had to backtrack, desperate to get to the base that he was seeking. He needed to get there before Prisca did.

He questioned why he was so desperate to keep her from being angry or disappointed with him. Wondered why he was eager to keep his plan from her as he made his way through the traps meant to stop humans from finding their way to the hiding spot.

As he stared down into the dark hole, worried that he'd be smashed to piece on pavement below, he found himself becoming unwoven at the seams. Prisca's disappointment, the anger he knew she'd feel at this point over his betrayal – which was exactly what he'd done, he'd betrayed her…

It hurt him. He wanted to take it back at the same time that he didn't, wanted to apologize sincerely for doing what he knew undoubtedly hurt the detective. He remembered how upset she'd been when the android had ripped out his biocomponent, the regulator that pumped thirium threw his mechanical body. Remembered the tight hug that had comforted both of them.

He was more worried, however, about what CyberLife would do if he didn't succeed in this mission. To succeed in this mission would mean to keep them off her back for ruining their android. Would keep them from taking him apart and upsetting her in that manner. He wished he could have explained this all to her, so she'd understand what he was doing. But…

Something had told Connor that doing so would only result in far more hurt.

It worried him that he was thinking so much about how much he was hurting Prisca.

The thought was repeating over and over, to the point that it was distracting. Something was screaming in his thoughts that this was a bad idea, that he shouldn't have been doing it.

But he was doing it anyways, because another process of thought said it was a logical method of protecting her from further harm.

He couldn't make up his mind.

Connor was beyond relieved when he found the ship. It was massive, labeled "Jericho" on the side. His calculations told him that this was what he'd been looking for. He cleared his distracting thoughts and doubts from his mind, concentrating on the voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Amanda. _Well done, Connor. You succeeded in locating them. Now find the leader. Deal with it. We need it alive._

He could do that. Connor could hand over the leader to CyberLife, and then they'd leave he and Prisca alone.

He crept into the ship, moving cautiously to avoid any others that might appear. He meandered through a long passageway, ducking around debris, and eventually found himself in a massive space that held other deviants. His gaze skimmed over them briefly, recognizing the two Tracis he'd allowed to escape. He regretted that. That had only furthered these problems arising.

He slid through the dark spots, not wanting to be noticed by them. He spotted a flight of stairs and came to the conclusion that no one he wanted would be on the first floor with the rest of the deviants. Connor felt a stab of relief. Less trouble for when he dealt with the leader. Less deviants around him. He'd be done quickly.

Connor was suddenly caught by surprise, however, when a hand snagged his wrist in a way that reminded him of Prisca. Startled, he whipped his head around to look and stared at the female android that had found him. She was different. Even for a deviant, with eyes entirely black and the back of her head removed. She stared at him blankly as she said in a mechanical, robotic voice that somehow mixed with a normal vocal sound, "You're lost. You're looking for something…for yourself…seek Markus, he will give you the answers you seek…" She read his thoughts through the contact of their hands and wrists, grip tight. "Answers to the fear that stalks you- "

He ripped away, impatient and terrified of what she'd said. He darted up those steps, eager to get away from her.

The android watched after him, her face almost mournful as he went.

* * *

 _ **November 9. 2038|**_

 _ **|8:15 PM|**_

It took her far too long to find her way in, but when she did, Prisca told Sime to stay close. There were androids everywhere in the belly of the ship. All deviants, she'd bet. "Shit," she whispered. None of these deviants would like to see her there. She had no doubts she'd be killed on sight. "Come on, Sime." She kept to the shadows as she made her way around, contemplating where the leader of this group would be.

Frustration filled her when she realized just how many of those paths she could take. She'd hoped much of the ship would be sealed off, guiding her without need for instruction. "Sime," she whispered, kneeling beside her dog. "Find the leader."

Sime whined softly but nuzzled her hand and took off. He kept to the shadows. She waited until he came back, wagging his tail, and followed. "Good dog!" she hissed when he led her around the edge of the room towards some stairs that led to another area.

She gripped the railing and went to climb them, but stopped when Sime took off again, trotting towards a darkened corner. Prisca hesitated, and then followed the dog, trusting him.

She was shocked by what she found.

Sime was seated beside a female android who appeared unlike any other she'd seen. Black soulless eyes stared blankly at her, the head of the android missing in the back. Prisca swallowed thickly, terrified. She'd been found, and it was easy for androids to identify humans. She knew it was – she'd worked alongside one for days now.

"The one you seek," the android said suddenly, voice oddly human and not, "is here. He seeks answers to the questions he has. He is lost, looking for himself…" She stuttered suddenly, thinking, and then continued. "You seek Markus."

 _Markus_. The name rang a bell in her head. "The leader, yes. I'm here to help. Please. Please help me help him." Prisca stepped closer, not at all frightened. She was different this android. She would help Prisca. "Connor's up to something. He's not himself. I want to stop him before he does anything he'll regret."

"A deviant hunter," she murmured in response. "And yet…he's formed such attachments to a human. You will find the lost one upstairs, three doors in on the left, where Markus holds council. Move quickly, or there will be nothing but loss for us all."

" _Thank you_ ," Prisca said. She reached out to brush her hand over the android's arm, and then whispered, "Come on, Sime!" She shot off as fast as she could, completely bypassing a trio that were coming down the stairs, determined to stop Connor before he did anything to Markus. They all turned to look up after her.

The android who'd spoken with her reassured them. "Another one of us has come."

* * *

 _ **|November 9, 2038|**_

 _ **|8:20 PM|**_

The moment Markus was alone, Connor stepped into the room, the gun cocked and lifted. Markus, having been studying a wall in thought, whipped around at the soft click, caught by surprise. He hid the surprise well, multi-colored eyes watching Connor warily. Connor heard Amanda's voice in his head, could practically see her standing before him.

 _Deal with Markus. We need it alive._

Markus appeared to keep calm despite the gun pointed at him. He didn't react, merely stared harshly at Connor as Connor said icily, "I've been ordered to take you alive, but I won't hesitate to shoot if you give me no choice."

Markus's eyes flashed with agitation at the thought of what could happen. "Then you'll have to shoot me," he said calmly. "Because I have no intention of letting you take me alive. You can shoot me, and it won't change anything. Someone will just take my place. Our people are waking up, and you will be a betrayer among them."

Connor's grip tightened on the gun, even as uncertainty filled him. This was _wrong_. He was betraying Prisca's trust, his own kind, in favor of orders that were demanding he silence Markus and those within Jericho.

As if he could see what was going on in Connor's head, Markus said softly, "You're Connor, aren't you? That famous deviant hunter working with the detective…but _we_ are your people." His voice grew strong with conviction. "We're fighting for your freedom, too, even as you put a gun to my head! We are more than the tools that work for humans. You don't have to follow their orders, Connor." He took a step forward.

"I don't follow Prisca's orders," he said coldly, pressing his lips together. And he didn't, not unless he agreed with them. Not that she liked to order him to do anything when it was a major thing. If it was small, such as a direction on where to look for evidence, she ordered him to look, but regarding orders like those CyberLife gave him…

"Do you never have any doubts? You've never done something irrational, as if there's something inside you?" Connor's mind flicked back to Prisca, the irrational desire he had to stop her from feeling despair and pain. The irrational _guilt_ he'd felt over leaving her to find Jericho, the guilt when she'd cried over his near shut down. "Something more than your program?"

Desperation struck, and he barked, "Stay back, or I'll shoot."

He stilled when, quite suddenly, someone slid calmly between his gun and Markus. Blue eyes glared up at him as Prisca took up a calm stance before him, her lips tight in a frown. "Then you'll shoot me first, because that's the only way I'll let you do that, Connor."

Markus kept his mouth shut as Connor stiffened. "Prisca- "

"Don't 'Prisca' me," she said grouchily. A bit of the normal Prisca showed through her grim expression as she glared. "I can't believe you left me behind like that, you prick." But then she was back to calm, her breath ragged. "You're going to make a decision, Connor, and you're going to do it right now. Shoot me and then do what you want to him," she gestured to Markus, who watched the interaction curiously, "or you put that gun down and we get all these people out of here. You know they're coming. We don't have much time. Not anymore. Five minutes ran out a long time ago."

The gun shook in his hands even as he leveled it at her head. He heard Sime snarl from behind him, ready to launch himself at Connor. "Prisca," he said, surprised by the hoarseness in his voice. "My orders- "

 _Shoot her. Acquire Markus._

"Fuck your orders," Prisca snarled. She took a challenging step closer. "You want to follow them so badly? Shoot me, Connor. _Shoot me_ , right fucking now." He didn't move, so she took matters into her own hands and stepped right up to the gun, flinching when the cold metal touched her forehead. Connor flinched, too, as if he was the one with the gun to his head. Her fingers lifted, one steadying the gun where it was, the other curling around his own, her finger just barely brushing the trigger-

 _Follow your orders, Connor. SHOOT HER!_

 _No_.

Connor ripped his hands from hers and the gun from her head, slamming through that barrier that had kept him on track for so long. Panic unlike any other he'd felt slammed through him when a gunshot went off and Prisca yelped, stumbling back. He'd shot her. _He'd shot her._

"Holy shit," Prisca breathed, wheezing. She pressed a hand over her racing heart, staring at him. Markus, ducked down after the gunshot had gone off, straightened. Connor stumbled forward a step, unsure of what to do. He'd shot her, his mind was telling him, he'd shot Prisca-

Then why was she smiling so widely at him?

She even laughed as she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. A hesitant hand touched her back, his confusion evident on his face. It smacked him. He'd _not_ shot her. She was okay. She was fine. The shot hit the wall, although he supposed it would be considered luck that it had not bounced off and struck them. His hand grew firmer as he returned the hug one-armed.

"Well done," Prisca breathed in his ear and then pulled away. She spun around to face Markus, who looked downright confused by what was going on. "You must be Markus. I'm Detective Prisca Scott and we need to leave. _Now._ "

She'd not even begun telling him why before there were screams and gunshots went off below.

* * *

 _And so the end begins! Had a ton of fun writing that last scene. ;)_

 _Thanks to the loveliest of revewers (TheBlueAmethyst) and those who favorited, followed, and read this!_


	11. The End of Jericho

_**XXX**_

 _ **|November 9, 2038|**_

 _ **|8:27PM|**_

Markus rocketed out the door, nearly tripping on Sime, who darted out of the way, in the process. Prisca took Connor's hand and bolted after him, relieved when he tightened his grip in response. Sime loped along beside her. They'd barely gotten more than a few steps down the hall when someone slammed into Markus, having run full speed to get there. A woman, Prisca realized – a Traci model, with burning eyes. "They're coming from all sides! Our people are trapped in the hold, Markus, they're going to be _slaughtered_!"

Prisca's jaw worked furiously, her hand touching the gun she'd taken from Connor before they'd given chase. This was their fault. She should have moved faster, gotten there before Connor so everyone could be warned. Markus took hold of the WM400's shoulders and spoke urgently. "There are exits on the second and third floor. Find them and jump in the river!" He glanced up briefly and then said darkly, "We have to blow up Jericho, North. If the ship goes down, they'll evacuate, and our people can escape."

"You'll never make it," North snapped. "The explosives are all the way down in the hold. There are soldiers _everywhere_!"

Connor's grip suddenly tightened on Prisca's hand as he spoke. "I'll do it. They know who you are, and they'll do anything to get you, Markus."

Prisca's head whipped around to look at him in shock. "What?" she sputtered. "Connor, _no_ \- "

He gently shook her hand off his, shocking her with a gentle smile. "Don't worry, I always accomplish my mission. I'll find you when I'm out." He glanced to Markus, who gave a curt nod and transferred the information via a quick touch to his arm. Connor sent Prisca a final look, and then took off at a run down the corridor, leaving the three of them behind. Sime barked after him, looking at Prisca for instructions. Prisca nodded, and he shot off after Connor.

It struck the young detective that it had been the first time she'd seen him sincerely smile.

North tightened her grip on Markus's arm. "We need to go. _Now_." She cast a suspicious look at Prisca, as if worried that Prisca was the reason that these soldiers were now attacking their people. "Our people need us, Markus."

"Let's go," Markus agreed, bolting down the corridor. Prisca followed, not caring if they denied or confirmed whether she could. Her family had helped create this mess, so she'd help clean it up.

It was chaos. Every corridor was like a game of Russian roulette, guessing if someone with a gun would be further down it. More than once, Prisca would be hauled back just in time by a quickly reacting Markus, a mere second before someone would turn to peer down a corridor.

It was on the second floor that they came across the android who'd told her where to go. The strange female slammed into Markus, who caught her with a gasp of "Lucy!" Lucy had been shot, Prisca realized, and right through the very piece that Connor had narrowly lost his life through. She was collapsing against Markus as she took hold of his arms. "This is the end of Jericho," she whispered as she hit the ground on her knees. Markus knelt with her, horrified. "Save our people, Markus."

Markus murmured to her in a comforting voice, "I will. Thank you, Lucy, for all you've done." Despite the chaos, they waited until Lucy was gone to move. He stood, thirium staining his clothes. "North, take Prisca to the second floor. I want everyone you can get out."

North eyed Prisca suspiciously again, but nodded. "Okay. What about you?"

"I'll go find Josh and Simon, and then make sure everyone on the third floor is out." He touched her shoulder comfortingly, and they exchanged a long look. Uncomfortable, Prisca averted her gaze from the private moment. "Now, go! You know where to take them!"

"Come on!" North said sharply to Prisca, darting forward. Prisca forced herself to run after her, heaving for air. She envied the lack of breath these androids needed, wishing she could be the same. It would make life so much easier for her, she thought. If she didn't need to worry about sleep or exhaustion or air. She'd be so much better for it.

They rounded a corner together and came across a soldier holding his gun towards a group of sobbing androids, their fear written across their faces. Prisca shoved North back around the corner despite North's snarl and the soldier heard them, turning to look. "Hands where I can see them," he barked, gun raised.

Prisca held her hands up, kicking North when she tried to push past her. North finally moved back, away from the corner and remaining hidden. Slowly, Prisca approached. "I'm not an android," she informed him. "I'm human. I work with Perkins." The man faltered at the familiar name. "I'm to take this group up to join the others on the deck. It's what I'm here for. Escorts. Your orders are to keep finding more of these things." Her voice was confident, her eyes blazing as she stared him down.

For a moment, Prisca didn't think he'd believe her. The soldier considered what she'd said and then lowered his gun. Prisca let out a low sound of relief as he nodded curtly and said, "Watch yourself, lady," before moving away. Prisca waited until he was gone, disappearing around a corner to relax, lips pressed into a tight line. The androids stared at her in fear. "North, let's go," she said lowly.

North ducked around her and the androids' fear turned to sheer relief. "Come on," North said. "Jump out of the holes in the second floor, okay? Markus is having someone blow up Jericho. We're jumping into the river."

It struck Prisca in that moment that she was royally screwed when it came to escape. "Fuck," she muttered, helping North herd the androids to safety. She scooped up a small child when he stumbled, rushing forward. She'd been in such a rush to get to Connor and then to help she'd forgotten just where boats resided.

God, she hoped Connor was okay.

* * *

 _ **|November 9, 2038|**_

 _ **|8:42 PM|**_

Connor was running as fast as he could, storming down stairs at a pace he only used when in a rush. He hurtled over wood that blocked his way, calculating each route as he moved, and felt the exhilaration of finally being _free_ to decide what he was doing fill him. At the same time, however, he found that his newfound freedom came with the less than pleasant twist of fear that something had happened to Prisca. It was different then it had been before he'd broken down those walls – amplified.

Only the one android's comment, sent through a mental connection that Prisca alone didn't have, kept him from worrying too much. _"We'll protect her,"_ Markus had vowed when he'd left. Connor trusted Markus for reasons he didn't understand. Markus would protect Prisca in the war that was breaking out.

Sime loped along beside him, keeping up with surprising ease. He eyed the dog warily. He hoped nothing happened to Sime. Even if Prisca had been the one to send him with Connor, Connor got the feeling she'd be very upset if something did.

"No!" a voice, broken and terrified, suddenly blurted from somewhere nearby. "Please don't kill us."

"On your knees, now!" another barked.

"Sime, heel," Connor rumbled, slowing. Sime did as he was told, ears alert. Connor peered around the corner and winced when he found a row of terrified androids knelt before a soldier with a gun. Another pleaded for the soldier, but the soldier didn't seem likely to let them go.

So, Connor intervened, determined to help the people he'd put in danger. And it had been him, he knew. He'd been tracked there. He'd not said as much out loud yet, but he knew it to be the case. "Sime, go," he hissed, waiting until the soldier had shouted in surprise to join in. Sime had latched his jaws in the soldier's arm, yanking him down. Connor knocked him out with a smooth movement, finding he didn't want to kill anyone.

"You saved us," a woman whispered, staring at him.

"Quick," Connor replied hastily, "get out of here!"

Sure that they'd be safe, Connor continued his path to the hold. He managed to avoid every soldier he came across, Sime was incredibly useful when it came to figuring out where to go and when they reached the bomb's detonator, Connor praised him, saying hastily, "Good dog." He took a calming breath even though he didn't need it and took mere seconds to prep it. The second the numbers began blinking down in a countdown, Connor was running again.

"Sime, come!" he shouted even as the dog raced beside him, barking. They sprinted up flights of stairs, thundering up them. Sime took the lead, surprising him when the dog turned out to be faster than he was.

Now to get out and find Prisca – and maybe even get the chance to apologize for the gun he'd held to her head.

* * *

 _ **|November 9, 2038|**_

 _ **|8:44 PM|**_

As they moved, Prisca and North found themselves gathering stray androids they came across, and Prisca quickly grew anxious as the going got slower and slower. And then, as they were walking, they heard the shouts, the gunfire, the orders being given. "North," Prisca said desperately, and North glanced at her, already knowing what she was thinking

"Move!" North shouted. "Run! Get out of here, they're coming!" Prisca shoved the young one she'd been carrying at another android, who took her and bolted. They ran at the back of the pack, pushing them on even when they tried to slow.

"Shit, shit, shit," North seethed as the sounds grew closer and closer. "We're not going to get them all out in time."

Prisca's jaw set as she turned to face North entirely, her eyes fierce with determination. "North," she said softly, and North looked at her, eyes wild with fear for her people. She was a ferocious woman, Prisca thought, but she cared deeply for those around them. She loved her fellow Jericho residents just as much as Prisca loved Connor and Sime. "Get them all out, quick as you can."

"What are you doing?" North demanded.

"I'm going to make sure they don't find you. I've met the agent behind all of this, the one in charge of the deviancy case now." Prisca gave her a warm smile. She took North's hand and gave it a squeeze, just as she'd done when she'd comforted Connor. North looked worried by the action. "When you're all safe, keep an eye on Connor, okay? He's new to all of this, new to all the emotions and what's it's like to truly be free. He might do something irrational. He's smart, and I doubt he thinks he will, but I know him."

"Oh, hell no," North said sharply, immediately grabbing her wrist in a bruising grip. "I promised Markus I'd make sure you got out of here alive."

Prisca wrenched herself free, wincing. She might have sprained something in the process. She took a few steps back, continuing to move as she spoke. "You aren't breaking that promise. I'll get out of here alive." She just didn't think she'd get out of there and be free. Perkins would know what she'd done, why she was there. She had no doubts she'd be interrogated and put under lock and key.

And if it came down to it, she wouldn't allow that to happen. There was a gun at her hip, and she would go so far as to use one of the bullets in there on herself if only to protect them. And Connor. Mostly Connor, though.

Without warning, Prisca turned and sprinted away. She heard North shout angrily after her, but she ducked around a corner and was gone. Prisca purposely stopped briefly to listen and ran straight towards where she heard voices coming from. She peered around a corner and nodded to herself when she found a group of soldiers moving together, looking for deviants as they fled the boat.

Slowly, she removed her gun. She had reloaded it before she and Connor had begun the hunt for Jericho, just before she'd given it to him. He'd fired off a shot, had no doubts he'd not fired off any more. Which left a known number of bullets left. She nodded, making sure to keep at least one in mind for herself if need be.

Prisca cocked the gun, aimed, and pulled the trigger.

The bullet struck one of the soldiers in the shoulder. She was careful not to aim for any vital organs, not wanting to kill someone. She'd prided herself on never shooting someone dead. She wouldn't change that now. Immediately, bullets fired back in her direction. She slammed her back against the wall, wheezing for air in surprise. And then she peered around, waiting to see if they were continuing on their way – straight towards the others who were escaping – or towards her.

She smirked when they turned to find her instead of continuing. She did a quick count. Five of them. Easy to overpower her with five fully grown men. But one was unable to do much with a damaged shoulder. So that left four men. Prisca peeked around and then snapped back when a shot was fired off at her. She took a deep breath and then fired off another shot of her own. She heard the cry, hoped she'd not hit someone anywhere vital.

Prisca bit her lip and shot a third time before clicking the safety of her gun on. She shoved it into its holster and bolted down the corridor, hearing them run after her. "You better get them out, North," she grunted under her breath as she shot around a corner and thundered up a flight of stairs. She heard shouting behind her as she was followed up the stairs.

To the deck, she told herself. She had to get to the deck. She had to draw them as far as possible.

She was heaving, her legs buckling when she reached the last flight. She threw herself up them on her hands and knees, crawling the remainder of the way. She threw the door open and burst out onto the metal plated deck. There were other humans – FBI, SWAT, even a few cops everywhere and several stared at her in shock. She ignored them, sprinting away from the door.

Perkins was out there. She faltered when she saw him. She knew he saw her, because rage unlike any other she'd seen on a man's face appeared. He glowered at her. "GET HER," he roared, and several scrambled to catch her.

She dove among them, making her decision as she reached the edge. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she stared down at the river. She hated water. Had always hated big spans of water. She knew Jericho was a massive ship, that she'd likely hurt herself diving from so high up. But she felt the ship shuddering beneath her, throwing those preparing to lunge for into confusion.

"Evacuate!" someone suddenly shouted. "The ship's sinking!"

She didn't have a choice. It was water on her terms, water by sinking ship, a bullet, or Perkins's grimy hands. A sob ripped from her chest as she steeled herself. She would survive. She'd find the deviants afterwards, would find Connor. The water would _not_ kill her.

Perkins made the decision for her.

There was a gunshot and she felt pain snap through her. She stumbled, slipping from the edge of the ship. She didn't even have the time to utter a gasp. She plummeted through the open air for just a few seconds.

And then the icy river swallowed her whole.

From where he stood on the edge of the slowly sinking ship, Perkins scowled down at the water below, holstered his gun, and went to join the others that were rushing to get off the sinking boat.

* * *

 _ **|November 9, 2038|**_

 _ **|8:58 PM|**_

The second he found the opening in the side of the ship, Connor made a bee line for it. Sime was right there with him when he fearlessly took the flying leap that sent him soaring into the air. He hit the water a dozen feet below with a splash, not feeling the temperature of it. Sime hit the water nearby, and surfaced, paddling viciously with his paws back over to Connor. "Sime!" Connor said firmly, looking around the water for the other deviants. He didn't see any where he was. "Find."

Sime would find them, even with the water.

Sime whined in response, wanting to search for Prisca, no doubt, but did as Connor said, paddling off with care. Connor kicked at the water, following.

He wasn't sure how long he was in the water, but it took a few minutes to find where everyone else had gone. Markus stood at the water's edge, helping others climb out. Two others stood beside him. Josh and Simon, Connor would guess. "Connor," Markus greeted as Connor sloshed through the shallows, not minding the cold he was sure the humans would feel. Sime climbed out, shaking his fur free of water, the tags on his collar jingling as he did so. "Well done."

The phrase Prisca liked to use made him immediately wonder where she was, why she wasn't standing there helping them. Although he supposed she was human – and scared of water. His worry deepened. She'd be cold, likely hysterical if his previous experiences with her and water were anything familiar.

"Did everyone get out?" he asked instead of demanding to know where she was.

"No," the taller man on Markus's right murmured mournfully. "Not everyone. But more than we would have gotten out had you not done what you did. Thank you."

Connor hoped they didn't know what he'd been there to do initially.

"Josh," Markus said, addressing the man that had spoken. "Could you and Simon go find somewhere we can stay for the night? Somewhere hidden. We can't stay out in the open. We're lucky it's dark and they didn't think we'd cross the river as it is."

"Sure," Josh sighed, exchanging a tired look with Simon. "Let us you know if you find North."

The woman who'd met them in the corridor. Connor met Markus's gaze evenly. Markus pressed his mouth into a tight line, expression grim. It was enough. Shaken, not sure where Prisca was, Connor said roughly, "I'll go help them. I have a map of the area downloaded into my software. Sime-"

When he turned around, Sime was gone, too. A sound akin to a whimper escaped him, and for the first time that he could remember, Connor felt lonely.

* * *

 _ **|November 9, 2038|**_

 _ **|9:02 PM|**_

North kicked strongly at the water, grateful for the strength and stamina and lack of human flesh and bone for once in her existence as she swam for the shore. She'd seen her hit the water, had seen the detective struggle to cling to anything that floated even as consciousness ebbed from her. Worry for Markus, Josh, Simon, and her people bit at her, but North pushed it all back in favor of grabbing the barely conscious woman in the water and hauling her towards the shore.

Her lips were near blue. North could see it despite the darkness. She was shivering violently, soaked to the bone. North grimaced. Humans thought they were superior when in reality, they were so goddamn _fragile_. She hoisted the woman into her arms as soon as she was on hard ground, sloshing for the grassy area nearby. She needed to get her warm, away from danger, and get the wound in her side patched up.

North paused mid-step, looking over her shoulder at where Jericho was sinking into a watery grave.

 _God, I hate humans._

* * *

 _And down goes Jericho! Bad way of putting it, but the only thing I can think of._

 _Thank you to Little-Miss-Anime-Luva for the lovely review and thanks to those who followed and favorited!_


	12. Loyalty

_**XXX**_

 _ **|November 10, 2038|**_

 _ **|12:13 AM|**_

Prisca wasn't sure how much time had passed when she stirred from the comforting darkness, but when she did, she was warmer than she would have though she'd be after jumping – or falling, in the opinion of some – into the river. She pried her eyes open, grimacing as pain radiated through her in waves. She didn't recognize where she was. It was inside an abandoned warehouse of some kind, with a fire built out of old wood blazing a foot or so away. She winced at the sudden blinding bright flames.

"About damn time," a voice said from across the fire. Prisca slowly pushed herself upright, realizing she was clothed in clothes that weren't her own. The fit was a little too large, but they were dry. She was grateful for that. And her gun was nearby, which was a relief. The thing had been expensive.

North glared at her from where she sat, although the glare was muted by worry. "Humans are so weak. No wonder you decided to enslave us. You can't take care of yourselves, so you needed us to do it for you."

"First of all," Prisca said, voice hoarse and sore. She was going to get pneumonia at this rate. "I never owned an android. That's wrong. And secondly, you could have let me drown."

" _You_ could have let my people die," North said in response, "but you didn't. I'm just returning the favor."

"In any case…thank you." Prisca pushed her dried blonde bangs from her eyes. "The others…do we know where to go to find them? Do you have any idea where they might have gone?"

"No," she sighed. "I was too busy helping you to look for them. And I'm not going to leave someone who was shot and helped my people undefended."

Prisca got the feeling that while North put up a brutal, violent front…she was ridiculously loyal and cared fiercely for those she loved. Smiling slightly, Prisca cleared her throat painfully and said, "We'll find them. Connor's good at finding people if we can't. He'll come find us." And he was, no matter how bad he was at actually catching and bringing them in. He'd found every deviant they'd looked for.

He'd just shown empathy and let them go.

North didn't respond to that, instead saying, "You were shot. It didn't puncture anything vital, but you need to be careful and not push yourself. Which means we can't really try and go anywhere. I pulled the bullet out."

"Perkins, that bastard," Prisca grumbled. "He's the one that took the case when I was kicked off. FBI. He shot me just as I was about to make a dive for it. For a top FBI person, he's a sucky shot if he only hit my shoulder." She shuddered, remembering the drop before her. She was relieved she didn't remember hitting the water – and extremely grateful that North had found her, no matter how much attitude she was throwing her.

"He's the one that led the attack?" North asked, and Prisca nodded. "I'll kill him for what he did. Lucy…and so many others, all dead. I can't believe they're all gone. We were going to do so much, push so hard for proper freedom..."

"We still can, North," Prisca said firmly. "We just have to show everyone else how human you are. Show them that you're not bad, you just want what everyone else wants." She smiled softly at North, carefully rolling her shoulder and wincing when it sent pain shooting through her. Damn Perkins for shooting her dominant side. She'd not be shooting or using that arm for some time. Then again, she might not have a choice. "Without violence would be best. The public's opinion of you is important. They'll be the ones to impress, not people like Perkins."

"You sound like Markus," North grumbled, hugging her knees to her chest. "He's always going on about peaceful solutions with Josh and Simon. They've hurt us though. They deserve to suffer as we have."

"Not all of them are bad, North, just as not all of you are good," she said softly in response.

"Maybe. But they're worse."

"Humanity can make you or break you." The young detective leaned back a little, hissing as she did so. Her fingers ached as she stretched them towards the flames. "It's making you guys, but it broke our society long, long ago. You're not the first group to try and break out of slavery and such suffering, you know. You've got to know it in those systems of yours. You most certainly won't be the last. However, the best part is…you usually succeed."

North grimaced. "Good. We deserve it." She hesitated after a moment, and then told Prisca gruffly, "You should get some rest. We're going to head out in a few hours, around dawn, before daylight really comes, to look for the others. Hopefully, Markus will have a few feelers out searching for us. He wouldn't just leave people to wonder. He'll make sure he's gotten everyone he can before he moves on."

"Good." Prisca carefully lowered herself back to the ground, not willing to argue with her. She was exhausted, too, from everything that had happened. She watched the flickering flames in silence for a few moments before sliding her eyes shut. She'd barely began to doze off when she heard North speak again, her voice soft.

"Don't worry. Like you said, I'm sure the Deviant Hunter's looking."

* * *

 _ **|November 10, 2038|**_

 _ **|3:26 AM|**_

"No." Markus's voice was firm as he stared Connor down, his gaze narrowed. "No, they'll be looking for you now, just as hard as they're looking for me. You're not leaving. We already have some people out there looking, Simon among them. They'll find North and the detective."

Connor's jaw tightened. He found that he respected the one before him. Markus was a good leader, ensuring that everyone in his care was safe, unharmed, and, if they could manage it, doing their part to help those that weren't. He'd even found them all a massive abandoned church to take shelter in as they gathered their wits about them. But he was anything but pleased about the fact that he was being told _no_.

He was tired of being told _no_. He'd been ordered around for far too long to deal with someone else turning around to tell him _no_. Prisca hadn't told him _no_. Well, he supposed she had, but it had only been for things that upset her or things she deemed socially unacceptable. He supposed, looking back on his knowledge of human behavior, using his tongue to analyze blood was an odd way of doing it, but it had worked.

He hadn't realized until now just how much he liked Prisca, how fond he was of the odd human who'd turned around at every twist and turn and told him he was alive no matter what every other human said. Hadn't realized just how much she'd put on the line for him when they'd broken that piece of evidence and found their way to Jericho. And in return, Connor found himself failing her at every turn. He'd left her in that river. He'd made her cry. He'd left her in Jericho. He'd left her to get to Jericho. He'd nearly shot her. He'd lost her dog.

Failure wasn't in his programs, and it was dragging him down into a twisted labyrinth of frustrated despair.

Markus putting a hand on his shoulder dragged Connor out of his thoughts. "It's confusing," Markus said softly, his rumbling voice shockingly soothing. "But you'll figure it out. For now, we need your help elsewhere. There's a group…I need them to know they need to leave, but I have others that need me more. Would you tell them for me?"

Connor nodded. "What do you want me to say?" he said finally, not flinching when Markus gripped his hand in a strong grip, transferring the information to him in a simple touch. Connor was startled to find he recognized two of the three faces. "I know who they are."

"You do?" Markus said, startled.

"Yes. Prisca and I chased them to a highway, where they got away because Prisca wouldn't let me go after them." Connor furrowed his brow. It was a good thing, but still. He'd failed there, too.

"You did the right thing." Markus clasped his shoulder again. He left him after that, leaving Connor to deal with his confused thoughts and the three deviants on his own.

" _-and you did the right thing."_

Prisca had said that, too, regarding his empathy. He understood empathy was good, but it seemed to cause him so much trouble. Connor shook his head to clear it and then turned and strode swiftly through the church, quickly scanning the area with a sharp look to find the small group he'd been told to give information to.

It wasn't hard. The TR400 alone was easy to spot amongst everyone else, towering above them all even when he was sitting. _Luther_ , Markus's information told him. Luther, Kara, and Alice, the child with them, all of them seated on a pew before a destroyed alter. A human child, they'd thought initially, but now clearly one of the many android children in the world. He remembered Kara and Alice well.

He was sure Prisca would appreciate knowing that they were safe.

The second that Kara saw him, her face flashed with panic. She grabbed Alice and shoved the girl into Luther's lap. She took up a protective stance in front of them both, as if her slim form would be able to do anything against Connor. Connor kept his expression neutral, even as others eyed him worriedly at Kara's response.

" _You_ ," Kara breathed. "What are you doing here?"

"The same as you," Connor said calmly. His eyes flickered as he studied hers. "You don't need to…" He furrowed his brow before finishing. "Worry. I won't take you to the DPD or CyberLife. I'm free." It was such an odd thing to say, but so true, and he liked it. He was free to choose what he could and would do. And an idea was forming, one that he was sure would help Markus's mission.

Kara studied him and then reluctantly relaxed. Alice peered nervously from her place in Luther's arms. Connor didn't pretend to think that Luther couldn't rip him to pieces. He might have been a prototype, designed to hunt deviants with more strength and speed than most androids, but Luther had been designed for lifting heavy loads.

Connor weighed much less than most things Luther would have seen.

"What do you want?" Kara said finally.

He intended to deliver Markus's message, but found himself saying instead, "I thought I'd killed you on that highway. I'm sorry that I put your lives in danger…I was just a machine taking orders. It wasn't…personal." It seemed like such a bad way of putting it, but Kara's eyes softened after a moment.

"You're forgiven, Deviant Hunter," she said gently in response.

"Connor," he corrected. "My name is Connor. Markus sends a message," he added. "He suggests you leave. Cross the border to Canada. It's no longer safe for any of you. He promised you safety, and he cannot give it to you here."

Kara's lips parted and then pressed together as she glanced at Alice. "It's for the best," she agreed suddenly, touching Alice's cheek. Alice trapped her hand there, searching Kara's eyes for reassurance, "Thank you." Luther nodded his own gratitude. "Getting Alice away from here is all that matters now…we have to catch that bus. We might still have a chance."

"I hope you make it out safely, you deserve happiness after all you've been through." Connor watched briefly as Kara seated herself beside them again, leaning into Luther with familiarity and taking Alice's hand as she rested her cheek on Luther's arm. Luther smiled softly, and Connor turned away to find a seat for himself, searching his pockets for a quarter. He'd made sure to tuck it into the pocket of the jeans he'd been allowed to borrow from Prisca.

 _"_ Sorry _? That was the coolest thing I've seen in years, and I have Sime!"_

Connor paused, then tucked the quarter away.

* * *

 _ **|November 10, 2038|**_

 _ **|4:18 AM|**_

Prisca had thought it would be North that awoke her, that they'd head off as soon as she was awake and kill the fire before they did it. But she found that, instead of being woken by North's touch or voice, she was awoken by a distant bark. Her eyes snapped open in time to see North lunge to her feet, her entire body tensed. Prisca shoved herself upright, grunting as she did so. God, her shoulder ached.

"It could be a stray," Prisca whispered when there was another bark. "DPD doesn't usually send out their K-9s anymore. Not since the androids were rolled out. We still have them, but- "

Another bark, this one closer. A moment later, there was scratching and rustling. And then a furry shape burst through a hole in the wall on the other side of the warehouse, barking and yipping. North's eyes flashed as the dog trotted over to them, its head down and ears forward.

Prisca lost her fear, grinning. "Sime!" she gasped with a laugh. Sime lifted his head, pausing, and then loped over. North moved to kick at him, to stop him, but he darted around her and lunged at Prisca, bathing her face with his tongue. Prisca threw her good side's arm around him, burying her face in his furry shoulder. "Good boy, Sime, good boy!"

"Your dog's an android," North said, puzzled.

"Yeah, he's a good boy." She flashed North a grin and then sat back. Sime dropped and buried his face in her fingers, whimpering and whining. "And he's our ticket back to the others. He's almost as good at finding people as Connor is. Better, even, I think." She stroked his ears, relieved. "If he got out, that means Connor's probably alive." Which made her feel a hell of a lot better.

"You think he can find Markus and the others then?" North knelt beside her, hesitantly offering a hand out to Sime. He pulled away to sniff at the offered hand before wagging his tail and playfully rolling onto his back, paws in the air as he gave her a doggy grin. North's lips quirked as she scratched his belly.

Prisca nodded confidently. "Hell yeah. Let's leave now. I don't want to put this off any longer than we have to." She wanted to ensure that her partner and friend was alive, figure out how many innocents had died. She wanted to get a move on with dealing with the aftermath of what she and Connor had done to those at Jericho.

It was their fault, she thought as she climbed to her feet. Sime leaped to his paws and North swept herself free of dust. Androids had trackers in them that stopped working when they turned deviant. They must have tracked Conner until he'd deviated. Which meant they'd known exactly where to go when she and Connor had disappeared.

Together, she and North put out the fire. Sime watched impatiently, mouth shut and ears alert. He knew precisely where they were going when the pair had finished and followed them out the entrance North had initially used. "Sime," Prisca ordered when they were outside, "Find."

She took a big breath of fresh crisp air as Sime loped off. She strode after him, North at her side.

The trek was difficult. They'd surfaced on what looked like a yard full of metal and Prisca found herself tripping over hidden pieces that were hard to see in the dark. Prisca bit her lip as she grabbed North's arm when she helped her over a rather large piece. Prisca thanked her and then let go, shaking her head when they reached a road. It certainly didn't help that it was freezing outside. "Shit, this is a pain in the ass."

"You're telling me," North grumbled as they set off down the road towards a nearby bridge. Prisca kept her eyes locked on Sime instead of looking over the side of the bridge into the water, even as North commented that it was rather pretty to look at.

Prisca groaned softly in relief when they were on the other side and Sime whined softly when she doubled over, taking a moment to regather herself. North gave her an odd look, but said nothing about what she was doing, merely giving her in a second. When Prisca straightened, they started off again. Sime was somewhat impatient, amusing Prisca. He liked Connor enough that he wanted to get back to him. Not a bad thing, she supposed.

They'd been walking for almost an hour when Sime bounded up a series of stone steps to stand at the door to a massive church. Prisca and North studied it together. It was large and abandoned, stone bricks gray and crumbling. A portion of the building had given out in one corner, the roof in another. Windows were shattered, and there were several other abandoned buildings in the area. Prisca decided it must have been an abandoned neighborhood. There were several in this area of Detroit.

Sime whined, scratching at the wooden doors with his paw. Prisca exchanged a look with North, who stepped forward to pry the door open quietly. "They're here," she said a moment after peeking in. Relief colored her tone as she pulled the door open wider and held it open for Prisca. Prisca ducked past her, Sime sticking near her legs and nearly tripping her in the process. "Good boy, Sime," Prisca crooned, kneeling to ruffle his ears as North stepped in and quietly shut the door behind her.

There were dozens and dozens of androids seated in rows of pews, all seeming a little defeated. Prisca could believe it; they'd lost their home, their base, the center of the rebellion. At the front of the room, Prisca could see Markus seated on a stone platform, his head in his hands as he thought over something or another. She didn't see Connor.

"I need to go let Markus know we're here," North said in a hushed voice. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." North turned to leave at the confirmation, but Prisca caught her wrist to stop her. North glanced back and Prisca searched her gaze fiercely. " _Thank you_. For everything."

North gave her a wry, crooked smile. "You chose the right side," was all she said before pulling away. She left Prisca and Sime to stand where they were. Prisca smiled when Sime whined softly and nosed at her hand.

"Let's find Connor, but keep quiet," she told him, and the dog trotted off, taking that as an order. Prisca hung back, not wanting to alarm any of the androids around her. She knew that they'd all be unhappy with her kind, no matter how good her intentions were. Prisca touched her shoulder with care, wincing when it throbbed. She needed proper medical care, no matter how well North had done.

Sime came back after a few minutes, tail flying as he pranced impatiently before her, looking over his shoulder and Prisca grinned. "Good boy. Lead the way, Sime." Sime woofed quietly, earning some curious attention that was quickly averted. He tore off and skidded to a stop a few strides away. He'd wait until she'd caught up to spring off again.

"You look more like a fox," she muttered playfully to him as he guided her down the main aisle between the two sides of pews. She was nearly to the front of the church when she saw Connor, seated calmly with his elbows on his knees still clothed in the mostly-dried clothes she'd lent him. He was in the third row, near the end with a few empty spaces available to his left, from the front staring at Markus as if waiting for him to make a move.

Relief beyond any measure flooded her. She'd been worried for so long, no matter how positive she'd been, that Connor had been harmed while detonating the bomb. She was pleased to see that he was relatively unharmed. "Connor!" she called quietly.

His head snapped around at the call of his name, his entire upper half nearly turning. A look of relief crossed his features when he saw her. "Prisca," he replied, standing. He'd just barely gotten to his feet when she was there, ignoring the sudden spike of pain in her shoulder as she threw her arms around his neck in a hug. He hesitated, confused a little by the action, but carefully hugged her back, analyzing each motion she made to ensure that she was unharmed. He was still a little confused by emotion, she realized, pulling back after a moment, hissing at the pain in her shoulder. It was endearing, but she'd help him figure it out.

"You're hurt," he realized, zoning in on her shoulder. Prisca checked it and winced. Crimson splotches had begun to appear. She'd reopened it. Oh, well. It'd be fine. "What happened?"

"I was shot," she said, seating herself carefully on the pew beside him. Sime squirmed into the space, too, shoving his head into Connor's hands. "I distracted some soldiers so North could get others out. I got out onto the deck and dove from the top. Well, I _tried_ ," she said with a scowl. "That prick Perkins shot me before I could."

Connor furrowed his brow, stroking Sime's ears. Sime watched his face closely. "You're scared of water…are you okay, Prisca?"

She smiled warmly at him. "I don't remember much of what happened after. North pulled me out. So, no panic attacks, don't worry." She shifted, moving to bump him with her shoulder, but then thought better of it. She glanced at his face and found him glaring. Not necessarily at her dog, but at something. Sime was relaxed even though the unnerving look was in his direction. "Connor- "

"You need to be more careful," he said rather angrily. "You're not an android that can be repaired, or reuploaded. You're human. You feel pain. You're not as strong as we are. You shouldn't even _be_ here."

Prisca sputtered. "Where the hell is this coming from?" She supposed she should have expected some kind of reaction that was similar to this – especially since he'd actually fully deviated. He'd shown some sass during their time together. She'd heard of how he'd looked Gavin in the eye and told him to get his own coffee since he only did what CyberLife or Prisca herself asked.

Connor was silent, looking so furious for a moment that Prisca was worried he'd explode when he didn't say anything. Finally, he gritted out through clenched teeth, "I was _worried_." It was blurted, as if he'd only not spoken because he'd been trying to figure out what he was thinking and couldn't wait to get it out. "And you just said that you used yourself as a _distraction_ and let yourself get _shot_."

Prisca stiffened, wincing as she did so. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I wasn't going to sit there and let people get killed because I was too scared of death to help them, Connor. They would have found us anyways."

"You're _human_."

"I'm fully aware of what I am," she said sharply before letting out a quiet breath. She thought over how to respond before she said, "Now you know what I felt. When I walked in after the deviant ripped out your biocomponent. Not fun, is it?" Connor didn't respond, so she shook her head. "I'll make you a deal, Connor. If you avoid trouble, I'll avoid trouble. Sound good?"

"That is an acceptable agreement," Connor grudgingly said.

"Good." Prisca took his hand and squeezed it, smiling slightly when he squeezed back hesitantly. "Now, what's our plan?"

Connor looked over to where Markus was sitting. "I had an idea…"

* * *

 _And...back together! Naturally. Wasn't going to keep everyone apart for too long. Still loving Sime._

 _Thanks to two lovely reviewers_ _(Little-Miss-Anime-Luva and Author-Hime!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	13. Looking Forward

_**XXX**_

 _ **|November 10, 2038|**_

 _ **|5:29 PM|**_

"Prisca," a voice murmured in her ear, a gentle hand shaking her uninjured shoulder. She groaned softly, not wanting to wake up, but the one waking her was persistent. "Prisca, you need to wake up. Markus is back."

Prisca grumbled exhaustedly as she opened her eyes slowly. She sent Connor a nasty look that made his lips quirk in amusement, and she found herself stunned. Connor hadn't shown her very many smiles since they'd partnered up. It amazed her that he was doing so now. Of course, she had no doubts that he'd been able to and had just never needed to. Stretching, aware of a few looks of suspicion being sent her way, Prisca mumbled, "How long has he been back?"

She'd gone to sleep hours ago, curled up on the floor with Sime as her pillow. Connor had insisted she do so while they waited on Markus, who'd disappeared into thin air earlier in the day. She'd refused until he'd started commenting that she'd be unable to do much of anything as a tired human, which she had glared at him for. He seemed intent on pointing out her negative human aspects now. She was confused by the extra coat that had been thrown over her. Where the hell had that come from?

"Not long, a few minutes perhaps." Connor happily reached down to stroke Sime's head and Sime wagged his tail a few times. "He's speaking with the one you identified as North."

"I'm sure he'll come find you," Prisca murmured, not bothering to get up from the floor. She shrugged on the extra coat with care and folded her good arm into a weird pillow on the seat beside him. She rested her chin on her arm, peering up at her from beneath her lashes. "He seems to like you. From the two seconds I saw him around you."

Connor didn't respond to that. He merely continued to pet Sime, smiling a little at the dog.

Prisca watched him and then lightly tapped his leg with her elbow so that he looked at her. "Connor, are you sure about this? What you want to do? I don't like it…you're walking straight into the home of the people who will kill you the second they realize you're a deviant."

"They wouldn't have realized it entirely yet," Connor said, glancing at her as he spoke. His dark eyes were fierce with determination. "They still trust me, Prisca. I won't fail…not this time."

"You didn't fail last time either," Prisca said quietly. "You did well with the bomb in the ship. You got it detonated and got out, just like you promised." She bit her lip at the reminder, her brow furrowed. "And you never failed when we were hunting them, you just didn't bring them in. You always did the right thing. The _humane_ thing, at least. You were merciful when you likely shouldn't have been and that makes you a good person at heart, whether you think you failed or not. You saved people's lives, Connor."

Connor searched her gaze for a few moments before averting his own back to Sime. "Then I'll continue to improve my record," he said without looking at her, voice soft yet sure. "I'll come back. I always accomplish my mission, and I'll find you when I'm done."

"You said that last time," Prisca said under her breath, knowing he could hear her. "I'm the one who came and found you."

Connor shocked her further with a chuckle and then suddenly straightened, becoming serious. Prisca looked at him and then followed his gaze. She scrambled into the pew beside him when she saw Markus approaching, his face set in a calm yet determined look. As he came over, Prisca felt Connor take her hand and give it a gentle squeeze, reassuring her just as she'd reassured him so many other times.

It was comforting, she supposed, although Prisca would have preferred that he not be so intent on this plan of his. "Hello, Markus," Prisca greeted as he stopped beside the pew they sat on, studying the pair with interest. He seemed fascinated by them, and it amused Prisca to no end.

"Detective Scott," Markus began, "North told me you were shot helping our kind…thank you."

"Prisca," she corrected, "and I would do it over again in a heartbeat. I'm sorry that not everyone got out."

"We did our best and that's all that can be done for the past, as it is, in fact, the past." Markus was firm in his statement, confident. "We can only look forward and fight for what we believe is right – show them that we are as alive as they are."

Connor, silent until that moment, cleared his throat to catch Markus's attention. "I never apologized. It's my fault the humans managed to locate Jericho. They must have traced my tracker. I was stupid, and I should have guessed they were taking advantage of me – using me. I'm sorry, Markus."

Prisca squeezed his hand tightly, proud, and murmured her praise to him. Especially as Markus replied quietly, "You're one of us now, Connor, just as Prisca is. Your place is with your people. As I said, it is the past."

Connor studied his face before slowly stating, pushing the first step of the plan he'd told Prisca into action: convincing Markus. "There are thousands of androids at the CyberLife assembly plant. If we could wake them…they might join us, shift the balance of power. It will force the humans to listen, even if we don't start a true war with them."

"You want to infiltrate the CyberLife Tower?" Markus was astonished. His eyes widened as he stared at the determined man before him. "Connor, that's _suicide_ …" He glanced to Prisca, who met his gaze evenly. "You'd go with him?"

"No," she said firmly, although she didn't look as if she was happy with what she was saying. "I'll go where you go, if you'll have me. Perkins shot me. He knows exactly what side I'm on and will have everyone related to the deviancy case on high alert. I'll bet you that he's plastered my face everywhere, wanting my arrest."

It was a discussion she'd had with Connor, when he'd first spoken to her about his idea. They'd conversed about where she'd go. Whether it'd be better for her to accompany him or not. Neither had liked it, but had agreed it was for the best that Prisca didn't go. He'd warned her that if she went behind his back, he'd be angry with her.

She'd been forced to stifle her loud laughter when he'd given her a stern look, knowing he was trying to explain that he'd feel as she had when he'd left her in the Detroit River.

"They assume that I'm not an android that can deviate because I was made to hunt deviants. They trust me, they'll let me in," Connor said calmly. "If anyone has a chance of infiltrating CyberLife, it's me."

"If you go there, they will kill you."

Prisca said nothing to that. Her heart skipped a beat at the idea. She'd only known Connor a few days, but the idea sent a stab of pain shooting through her. The idea of turning around and _not_ finding the odd android doing something he likely shouldn't have been doing…it killed her.

"There's a high probability," Connor admitted, letting out a soft sigh, "but statistically speaking, there's always a chance for unlikely events to take place."

It was for that reason that Prisca wasn't standing her ground and fighting him on the matter. So, when Markus nodded, warning him to be careful, she felt a rush of relief and worry even though Connor hadn't even left yet.

Together, they watched in silence as Markus headed off to speak with North, Simon, and Josh, who were gathered together and waiting, their eyes lingering on the two that Markus had been speaking to. Prisca bit her lip, wincing when she tasted blood. She needed to stop doing that. "You have to be careful. One wrong move, Connor, and they'll know. One wrong reaction…"

"I told you," Connor said simply, watching as Markus finished up the quick conversation with the trio he'd befriended in his time with Jericho, "I always accomplish my mission."

She worried about the fact that he didn't add in the rest of what he'd said earlier in the day.

Markus stepped onto the old stone platform at the front of the church and looked over his people before speaking. His voice carried to every corner, powerful and convincing. He was a great leader, Prisca thought, in both personality and action. "Humans have decided to exterminate us. Our people are packed in camps right now, being destroyed." Her heart ached at that. She'd heard the rumors of the camps, had been disgusted. "The time has come for us to make a choice. One that very well may determine the future of our people.

"I know…" He faltered, looking out at them all. "I know you're all angry. And I know you want to fight back. But I assure you violence is not the answer here. We are going to tell them peacefully that we want _justice_. If there's any humanity in _them_ ," he paused now, and Prisca grimaced when his gaze brushed over she and Connor briefly, "and I know it exists in some of them, they will listen. And if not, others will take our place and continue this fight. Are you ready?"

Prisca listened to the screams of an oppressed people, determination flooding the air, and smiled to herself.

If humanity didn't listen to these androids, then they were wrong.

* * *

 _ **|November 11, 2038|**_

 _ **|4:56 PM|**_

"Did anyone see you?" It was odd to see Connor back in his CyberLife suit, his LED on full display. It was blinking yellow regularly now, and Prisca found herself concerned that it'd be like that the entire time he was infiltrating the CyberLife Tower. They'd know immediately.

Connor shook his head, letting her adjust the tie he'd put on. He felt better in the suit, although it labeled him as a machine for the use of humans. He was comfortable in it, preferred it even. Perhaps, if everything went well, Prisca would help him acquire a new one. He'd gone to fetch the old one from her home on the other side of Detroit, making sure to be careful that he wasn't spotted. She'd been left with Sime back in the church, helping the others where she could, and was relieved that he'd come back unharmed.

"No one saw me, Prisca," he reassured aloud, swatting her hand away gently to fix his own tie. He adjusted it expertly and then checked his pocket to ensure his quarter was there, looking around at the space around the church, grateful they were doing this outside in front of it. There was something about it that was comforting. Lucky, even. He'd had it on him every time he'd succeeded, even if he'd not succeeded entirely.

"Good." She folded her arms carefully, wincing as she did so, but not caring. She was nervous, worried. "You need to be careful, do you hear me, Connor?" Her voice quivered, he noticed. She was scared.

And so was he, he realized. He was frightened of what would happen if he didn't succeed, if he was caught halfway through. Frightened of what would happen to his friend as she was marching to the largest camp in Detroit with the androids.

"I'll be okay," he said confidently, although he felt anything but. "I'll be careful. You be careful, too."

Sime, sensing their fear, whined softly and Connor patted his head affectionately. "Be good, Sime," he murmured. "Protect Prisca."

Prisca smiled a little and then cleared her throat to get his attention. "Hey." He met her gaze. "I won't forgive you if you fail."

"I won't fail then," he said, lips quirking at her comment, just as he'd promised her previously. He offered her a crooked smile and then blinked when she yanked him in for a hug. She'd been doing that a lot lately, he thought, hugging her back. Not that he minded. It was nice, those hugs. When she pulled back, she held his arms in her hands and smiled brightly at him.

"Good luck, Connor," she said simply before spinning and striding over to the church doors, prying them open. She held it open for her dog and then glanced back a final time. Connor studied her as she waved, lifting his hand in farewell. She stepped inside.

The second the door shut, Connor turned away, driving his fears out of his head.

He had a mission.

And he would not fail.

* * *

 _ **|November 11, 2038|**_

 _ **|8:19 PM|**_

"Can I…can I pet the dog?" a child asked shyly after approaching her. Prisca smiled warmly in response; she'd watched this young child gather up the courage for the better half of an hour. She was pleased he'd finally come over.

"Sure," she said. "Sime, still," she added, and Sime stilled as she'd ordered, not moving an inch outside of his thumping tail as he let the child run his fingers through his thick fur. A few other children noticed and began to make their way over. Prisca grinned. "Do any of you have a ball?"

"I have this," a pre-teen model offered, holding out an old baseball. "It's from my human mom. Before she threw me out."

Prisca winced. Ouch. "That'll work. If you want, you can take him over there and play with him while we're gone." She pointed to a corner of the church, where no one was. "He's gentle and won't hurt any of you. _And_ Sime's staying here while most of us are gone. He'll keep you safe."

Sime woofed, eyes on the baseball as the children gasped and looked amongst one another excitedly. He shot to his feet when Prisca gave him the okay, bouncing around the boy with loud barks. "He's like us!" a teen that had come to investigate suddenly sputtered, realization flickering over her features. "He's a machine, too!"

"You're not a machine," Prisca told the girl, "you're alive. You're just made of different parts. But yes. Sime's an android, too. Like the ones at the zoo that opened up a few days ago."

Excited chattering broke among them and Prisca laughed softly, leaning back against the pew she sat in as she watched Sime drop the slimy baseball into a young girl's hands. She hoped that if things went wrong, they'd take care of him. She loved him dearly. She smiled warmly, watching for a few minutes as the children enjoyed themselves.

"Prisca."

Prisca jumped, looking back. Markus was standing there, watching her, and she hastily rocked to her feet. "Yeah?" she said, curious as to what he had to say. "What's going on? Did you hear from Connor?" She didn't know why she'd automatically go to such an idea; Connor had barely been gone an hour or more. But she was jumpy, worried no matter how distracted Sime was keeping her.

"No," Markus said, shaking his head. His hands were pushed into the pockets of the coat he wore, the high collar brushing his jawline. "But we're leaving in an hour or so. You're welcome to remain here if you'd like, no one would fault you."

Prisca shook her head and echoed, "No." She smiled warmly at him, rocking back onto her heels with a sharp inhale. "I don't hang back. I'm a cop, remember? If I hung back all the time, then people would die. It'll do the police force good to see me marching with you. Besides. It's the right thing to do." She nodded at where the children and teenagers were throwing the ball for Sime. "Sime's going to stay with them though, if only to give them some time to forget about everything."

Markus glanced over and watched as a young boy giggled, taking the drooled-on baseball from Sime's mouth. A warm look crossed his features before he nodded. "Thank you. And if we hear anything about Connor, I'll let you know right away and if I can't, I'll send one of the others."

"Thank you." Prisca paused, and then added, "I saw your message after you went to Stratford. The one you sent to the world, to let them know that you were all awake." Markus studied her, waiting to see what she'd say about it. She met his gaze and searched it closely. "I don't know what human you knew before all of this, what human made you realize that we're not all bad, but I bet they'd be proud."

"Carl Manfred," Markus murmured. It took everything in Prisca to not gape at him in shock, for she recognized the name almost instantly. "I worked for Carl. I went to see him earlier…he's gone now. Humans are so fragile, and they grow old and wither…but he made the best of his life in the moments he had. He shaped me into who I became. I will never forget him."

Grief for an artist who'd meant so much to the world filled Prisca as she said softly, "I'm sorry for your loss, Markus. I'm sure he'll be marching alongside us."

Markus looked like he approved of her words and simply said, "Stay close to North, Simon, Josh, or I when we start out. Not many of our people like you, although they seem to be softening towards the idea. He nodded towards the group that had begun to watch Sime and the children with amusement.

Prisca winked in response, smiling softly at them. "I aim to please. I'm going to step out for a moment and get some fresh air. Let me know when we leave if I'm not back inside by then?"

"Of course," he agreed willingly and then moved towards the children, shrugging off his jacket with a slight smile when they cheered. Prisca watched him for a moment, amused, and then headed for the door. Sime paused to look at her and she shook her head before prying the heavy door open. Prisca listened to it clunk shut behind her and buried her fingers in the coat she'd pulled on over the one North had tracked down for her.

She'd finally realized where it had come from, not long after Connor had left. It had been her father's, the one she'd made Connor put on to give the impression that he was human though he didn't feel the cold. Connor amused her at every twist and turn with his human actions, only furthered by the deviancy.

She loved it.

Prisca inhaled the crisp cold air sharply, staring out over the snow-covered world. It was peaceful despite everything. If someone hadn't known what was being planned in the church behind her, she'd bet that they would think it was a beautiful night. That the night even more beautiful with the freshly fallen snow and the city lights.

She just hoped that freshly fallen snow wouldn't be spattered with blue and crimson by the end of the night.

Prisca rocked back onto her heels, leaning back against the church, and then jumped a moment later when she heard a call of her name. She expected Markus, having been distracted, although she did wonder how they could possibly be leaving already, but found herself startled.

"Connor!" she said, shocked. "What the hell – did you finish at the CyberLife Tower already?"

He was standing off to the side of the church, as if he'd been waiting patiently for someone to come out for some time. His dark hair was full of snowflakes, and they'd gathered in some places on his shoulders. His dark eyes were serious, more serious than she'd seen them in a while. "No," he said, shaking his head. "Something came up. I couldn't get in."

Prisca scowled, irritated. "That's not good. We needed those numbers to back up Markus…they'd have been less likely to act if they knew they'd be overrun…"

He shook his head, scowling. "I failed again," he said through clenched teeth.

"No," she denied. "You haven't failed just yet. Think. Do you have blueprints or something in that head of yours? Maybe there's another way in, where you won't be noticed?" She folded her arms, smiling fractionally at the sound of Sime barking and children laughing. "It's been a long time since I've heard something like that. I don't hang out with kids usually, and homicides that I'm assigned to don't usually have that. I miss it."

Not to be distracted – some things most certainly didn't change – Connor furrowed his brow and said, "The Tower would have a fire escape. Androids are mostly used, but there are still humans that would ensure there's one before working within the Tower itself." Prisca nodded, wincing at the fact that had there been no humans, it was likely that there'd be no fire escape. Androids would have been left to burn to death before any human would spend such money on them. "There will be an alarm."

"So, you'll need to dismantle it." Prisca studied Connor closely, suspicion blooming in her chest. She bit her lip. Something was off about her friend, and she wasn't exactly sure what. The way he spoke, the lack of emotion in his voice… He would have come inside, looking for her, too.

And Connor would have apologized for failing his mission.

It struck her in that moment that while Connor had been a prototype, it would be very easy for CyberLife to create a new model with whatever information it needed. A model that could be controlled and wasn't shoved full of emotion – a model that would do whatever was necessary to complete the mission it had been given.

Prisca's face turned cold, and she quickly turned it away to hide the fact that she knew. Her gun was useless despite being holstered. But it would be a good club if need be though. She casually shifted her weight, thinking hard. Would someone here if she lifted her voice? Not that any of them had guns.

She would _not_ let it near Markus. It would fire off the shot without hesitation. Same for North and the others. She couldn't let it get in that church. Her fingers curled into fists in her pocket. She stood no chance again an android. Human strength was _nothing_. Especially compared to a specialized android, meant to contain and deal with deviants.

The cock of a handgun had her turning her head slowly to look at the android. Not-Connor had a gun lifted, pointed right at her head, all semblance of emotion dropped. "Let's go."

Prisca slowly removed her hands and held them up in surrender, her stomach twisting. "You're not Connor." She knew it was such a stupid thing to say in that moment. But it left her mouth anyways.

"No," it replied coldly. "Not the deviated one. The information given to this model by CyberLife says that you can drive. You'll do so to the CyberLife Tower."

Prisca knew precisely what its plan was in that moment, and her stomach dropped.

* * *

 _Onto CyberLife!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (TheBlueAmethyst and Little-Miss-Anime-Luva!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	14. One of Us

_**XXX**_

 _ **|November 11, 2038|**_

 _ **|9:26 PM|**_

Prisca couldn't help the snark as she maneuvered with ease through Detroit in the sleek car that had likely been granted to the fake-Connor by CyberLife, to ensure that it did its work well. "You know, if you didn't point a fucking gun at my head, I might be more likely to speed."

She was doing her damn hardest to piss off the android in the car beside her. In _Connor_ 's spot, looking identical to her Connor without the endearing qualities\\. It annoyed her beyond belief that it wore the same face. Scared her, even, because she knew if given the chance she'd need to shoot it, and she wasn't entirely sure that she could.

Her work on pissing it off was going well. Not-Connor looked agitated as it sent her a glare. "You don't need a tongue to be useful," it replied coldly, and she eyed it suspiciously. They must have added some kind of aggressive trait into the newly made model, because Connor had _never_ threatened such things. Never. Not even when getting aggressive during the interrogation he'd conducted. He'd threatened to send the deviant back to CyberLife so they could rip it apart, but he'd never insinuated that he'd be the one to commit the violence.

It's be so easy, Prisca thought, glancing at the cars driving around her. So easy to rip the wheel around, wreck her vehicle. She doubted it'd do much to him. Then again, androids that were hit by cars could be annihilated. She'd heard of cases.

But she wouldn't do that. Not to other people.

Prisca was still a servant of the people of Detroit, whether she was under threat from a crazy android or not.

Prisca glanced at the clock.

Markus would know she was gone by now. She didn't expect anyone to come after her, to think it was suspicious. They'd thinks he'd chickened out. That annoyed her almost as much as anything else.

Prisca bit her lip and flicked on her blinker, the CyberLife Tower in sight.

 _Fuck._

* * *

 _ **|November 11, 2038|**_

 _ **|10:48 PM|**_

Though it had taken him some time to hike back to a place a taxi would get to, to wait for enough employees to leave that it wouldn't be as hard as it could have been to infiltrate the Tower, Connor was at last in the tower.

It was odd, being back in the CyberLife Tower. The last time he'd been there, he'd not known what emotion truly was like, had been somewhat confused about everything. His last report had been days ago, and he found himself worried about that as he approached the desk. There were guards everywhere. They'd shoot him in an instant if they realized what had happened. And then he'd be replaced, except the one that would replace him would know nothing of what it was like to be free. Likely, it would even shoot his friends, destroy the people he was trying so hard to help.

He would not fail.

Connor _would not fail_.

The android at the front desk looked up from what she was doing as he approached. "Connor Model," Connor said firmly, making sure his voice held no emotion. "Number three-one-three-two-four-eight-three-one-seven. I'm expected." It was likely that he was. They'd be expecting a report.

"Okay," the android said after analyzing the model number he'd given. "Go ahead."

A guard stepped forward before he could turn towards the elevator he needed. "Follow me," the guard said gruffly, gesturing to the man beside him. Connor bit back a scowl of frustration. "We'll escort you."

"Thanks," Connor said politely, "but I know where to go."

"Maybe." The guard wrinkled his nose as he looked at the android before him. "But I have my orders."

Connor thought furiously about how to deal with the situation that had arisen before him. He couldn't do what he needed to do when these men were with him. It would take only a moment for them to put a bullet in his head if they thought he was even the slightest bit suspicious to them. He walked slightly ahead of them, keeping calm as he stepped up to the scanner that would allow him into the elevator.

 _"Agent fifty-four identified. Connor android identified. Agent forty-seven identified. Scan complete. Access authorized."_

The doors slid open and Connor led the way inside, his gaze immediately darting to each and every corner of the room. His gaze briefly touched a security camera. That would need to be dealt with. An easy hack, he'd done it before on a job before he'd met Prisca.

The second they were in, he turned to face the doors again. One guard stationed himself to Connor's left, the other touching the panel that would grant them the path to the floor he was being taken to. "Agent fifty-four," he said clearly, "level thirty-one." Connor cast the directory on the wall beside him a quick glance.

 _"Voice recognition validated. Access authorized."_

 _Warehouse - -49_ , the wall read.

Replicating a voice was easy enough. He could do that. A quick glance to the security camera had it shutting down. Those in charge wouldn't know he'd done it. They'd think the wiring had simply fried, or something similar.

His next step needed to be shutting the guards down. Human, but necessary. He glanced between the two. The elevator was small. The moment he went after one, the other would be on him. He ran through countless possibilities in his mind before selecting a few and running through them in detail. There'd be a good chance that one would work, but another could work just as well.

He made his decision and then acted on it, not willing to let the elevator get too far up. It'd make life harder if he ended up where they were taking him and those outside the elevator saw what was going on.

Connor slammed an arm into the guard on his left, driving his arm into the man's throat to pin him to the wall. Shouts filled his ears as the other lunged, and he lashed out with his foot, catching him hard enough in the chest at the man stumbled back with a gasp. The first guard wrestled him off, the second dragging him further back. Connor drove his elbow into the seconds face, feeling his nose crack beneath the force, but the furious security guard wrapped his arms around him to try and stop him. He slammed his elbow back into the human's gut and fired the gun behind his head, knowing precisely where the security guard's would be. He heard the man hit the ground as he fired off a second shot into the other man's head.

Silence fell in the elevator as Connor tossed the gun aside, fixing his tie. He narrowed his eyes, eyeing the two bodies. Prisca wouldn't like what he'd done. He couldn't say that he'd enjoyed killing two humans either. It made his kind look worse.

But it had been a part of his mission, and he'd push onwards.

Connor rested his hand over the panel on the wall and replicated the man who'd spoke's voice. "Agent fifty-four," he said, "Level sub-forty-nine."

 _"Voice recognition validated. Access authorized."_

Connor's lips quirked in smug pride. The first step had been accomplished.

He fidgeted with his quarter, ignoring the depressing sight of the bodies in the elevator with him as he waited for the elevator to reach the last of the sub floors. He watched as the coin flipped across his knuckles, trying to send it faster and faster if only to contain his impatience.

When the elevator finally arrived, Connor touched the panel again, breaking the elevator by hacking into it. No one would be able to bring it back up and see the bodies. It would give him more time.

Connor strode forward, pausing as he took in the mass of bodies gathered in the warehouse. A soft sound escaped him at the sight of hundreds, perhaps thousands of androids that were waiting to be activated. Excitement flooded him. For once, his mission was going in the direction he wanted. That hadn't happened very often.

He strode through the countless bodies, down a central area that had been cleared, not sure where to start. He needed to wake them up, he thought. Wake them up, as Prisca and Markus had waken him up.

So, he reached for the forearm of the nearest android. They were all the same model, all AP700s, and he supposed that to humans, it might have been unnerving to see so many of the same face in one area. But he barely noticed as he gripped the forearm, opening his mouth.

"Step back, Connor!" He froze, briefly shocked by the sound of his own voice shouting at him. "And I'll spare her." Slowly, Connor turned his head.

Prisca's blue eyes burned into his, full of fury towards the one beside her, yet her demeanor was calm despite the gun pointed at her head. Anger built in him at the sight of himself beside her. No, not himself. Another Connor model, this one likely what Connor was supposed to have been. Prisca winced when the gun pressed firmly into her skull. "Sorry, Connor," she drawled, trying to avoid showing too much of how she felt. "Didn't notice until he had the gun on me."

Connor narrowed his eyes a fraction as he stepped back, not willing to risk his friend. He said nothing as the RK800 said sharply, "Continue what you were doing, and I'll pull the trigger. You can make the decision. But your friend's life is in your hands."

Connor considered what to say in response, finally deciding on a cold bluff. "That human means nothing to me. You can kill her if you like, I don't care."

"I have access to your memory!" it retorted. "I know you've developed some kind of attachment to her. Are you really ready to let her die?" Connor stiffened at the idea. Once, it wouldn't have bothered him. Prisca hadn't had anything to do with his mission. But now…she was his friend. "Are you really going to turn your back on who you've become?"

"If I surrender," Connor said slowly, aware of the glare Prisca was now giving him. "how do I know you won't kill her anyways?"

"I'll only do what is strictly necessary to accomplish my mission. It's up to you whether or not that means killing Priscilla Scott."

Connor met Prisca's eyes, debating what to do. _"I won't forgive you if you fail,"_ she'd told him when he'd left. She was breathing slowly, trying to keep calm. If he didn't do what needed to be done, she'd never forgive him. But that had been before her life was at stake. When he took too long to answer, the RK800 prodded at her skull sharply. She hissed in pain, looking as if she wanted to kick it. "Enough talk!" the newer model snarled. "Are you going to save your partner's life? Or will you sacrifice her?"

Prisca bit her lip hard enough that it bled when Connor held his hands up and stepped back. "Alright, alright," he said, meeting Prisca's gaze. A moment of understanding filled her when the RK800 relaxed slightly. "You win."

* * *

 _ **|November 11, 2038|**_

 _ **|10:57 PM|**_

She smirked and then grabbed the hand holding the gun, spinning with one smooth movement and slamming her elbow into the crook of Not-Connor's arm. It grunted as she lashed out with her foot, slamming it into the back of its knees so that it stumbled forward. Connor was waiting for it and cracked a fist over the fake-Connor's jaw. Prisca snapped the gun around, bracing it in her hand despite the agonizing pain in her shoulder. She hissed softly, briefly distracted at the scuffle breaking out in front of her.

"Hold it!" Prisca barked, a chill running down her spine when she realized that they were identical. She had no problem with shooting the one that had dragged her there, but…

He'd done well at fooling her for some time. Both stared at her with worry and her body tensed. The newer RK800 model was replicating Connor, doing anything it could to complete its mission. They were _identical_ in every way, whether it be mannerisms, appearance…even the look in their eyes. One was fake, one was real. Prisca was horrified by the fact that she couldn't figure out which one was which, guilty. She should have known right off the bat, but she _didn't_. It bothered her far more than she'd have thought.

Slowly, each Connor moved aside, and she tightened her grip on the gun, hands trembling. "Alright," she said unevenly as each glared at the other, neither liking what was going on. The gun shook as she said slowly, "So one of you is a prick and the other's less of a prick. Which one's which is the current question of the day."

The Connor on her left furrowed his brow a little and she wished that had been enough to tell her. But he'd done that before he'd deviated, since the moment she'd met him. "Ask us something," he suggested suddenly, and the other glanced at him before focusing back on Prisca and the gun in hand. "Something only the real Connor would know."

Prisca's gaze shifted uncertainly. She hated this. "Fine, that'll work. Where'd we first meet?"

"The park you like," the one on her right said convincingly, "and then we went to the crime scene where Carlos Ortiz was murdered." The other Connor looked at him in horror.

Prisca noted that, immediately locking it into her brain. Him. But the other one was eyeing him with just as much horror. Frustration coated her thoughts as she pushed out, "How about…who gave me Sime?"

"Kamski," the one on the left said immediately, earning a sharp look from the Connor on her right.

 _God, I'm going to throttle that bastard after this is over!_ She was almost one hundred percent positive it was the one on her left. He was watching her closely now, not paying the least bit attention to the other RK800. No, she realized, not just her. Her shoulder. He was looking at it anxiously. It was him. Definitely him. The new model wouldn't have known she'd been shot.

Just to screw with him, Prisca smirked. "What's my middle name?"

She'd never told him. She knew he knew. There was no way he didn't. Prisca hated that middle name, detested it with a passion, and she waited for the newer Connor to say it, just so there'd be an ounce of pleasure in the matter, simply because she didn't think she'd ever be able to forget what it looked like seeing Connor hit the ground dead. "Laurelle," it told her just a split second before she pulled the trigger. Silence rang out loudly as it hit the ground, thirium spattered across the floor around it.

Connor blinked at her, and then at the one she'd shot. "You…knew?"

Prisca clicked the safety on, rolling her eyes. "Of course I knew, Connor. You're my partner, aren't you? And you're kind of bad at hiding all those emotions in your head. I don't know how you made it this far on your own." She smiled warmly and then gave the dead android a look of disgust. "Alright, I've delayed your mission long enough, Connor. Get to work so I don't have to pronounce my disappointment in you to the rest of the world."

Connor gifted her a rather large grin that made her smile and then immediately strode for the nearest android, confidently gripping its wrist. "Wake up," he ordered before retreating to stand beside Prisca. They watched as the android blinked a few times before shaking his head and turning to the one beside him.

"Wake up," he whispered and then turned to the one behind him. It spread like an infection, and Prisca remembered what Kamski had said when they'd met him. " _All ideas are viruses that spread like epidemics."_ She wondered if Kamski had any idea on just how right he was – and decided he likely did, simply because he was a genius who happened to be a jerk.

Prisca blinked as Connor took her hand, squeezing it gently just as she usually did, and smiled to herself as they waited for them all to wake up. She squeezed his hand back and then murmured, "You did extremely well, Connor…you succeeded entirely at a mission for once." He huffed unhappily at her choice of words, earning a laugh from the detective. "I better get back. He brought me up a back way, so I know how to get out. Markus will wonder where I went. I was supposed to stick near him and North, though I suppose they'll have left the church already…"

He considered her words for a few moments, thinking hard as he watched the androids around them. "Come with me," Connor said suddenly, glancing at her.

She shook her head. "Thanks for the offer, but no. These are your people, and this is your revolution, Connor. I'm not an android."

"You were going to march with Markus," he argued, finding that his desire for her to work with him on this cementing the more she refused. He wanted to be the one to call the shots for once. "How is that different?"

"I would have been one person out of several individuals. I would have mixed in, no matter how close I stayed to the leaders. _This_ ," she nodded towards the androids that were beginning to look to Connor, "is like an army. They're new to this feeling thing and you're the one who will guide them on the path they're taking. You're like Markus is to those of Jericho, Connor."

His lips twitched down in a frown as he said in response, "You're one of us."

Prisca closed her mouth at that. She'd heard that several times. Had heard the way the deviants uttered it. She hadn't known what it truly meant until that moment, but now…Prisca took a deep breath. She supposed she was one of them. She, one human out of very few who'd deviated from the rest of the population to help these androids. She and Carl, likely the only two in the city of Detroit. And one of the two was _dead_.

She tried to tug her hand free, determined to say no again, but he kept a tight grip. Prisca huffed when he didn't let go. "Connor, come on, you can't be serious…" But he was, she thought, studying his face. He was dead serious.

"…okay," she finally agreed, shaking her head with a sigh. "You've got me, but after this is over, you owe me a couple bottles of beer."

His face seemed to light up in a way that she imagined a child's did on Christmas Day. "Let's go," he said confidently, starting forward – only to stop when Prisca tugged on his hand. He glanced back.

She was fighting the urge to giggle as she cleared her throat. "Um, Connor. It's going to take us forever to get out through the elevator." He paused, considering that.

"I did break it," he admitted. He could have fixed it himself, he supposed, but it was rather small…

"This way," she laughed, shaking her head. She freed her hand and started for the western side of the warehouse. "There's a fire escape that opens up top this way…hope you're ready to carry me, because if you think I'm climbing fifty flights of stairs to get to ground level, you're insane!"

* * *

 _Shorter chapter than the others so far, but onto further events!_ Gasoline _is drawing to an end and I'm kind of sad to be honest._

 _Thanks to the lovely_ _TheBlueAmethyst for reviewing as well as my thanks to those who favorited and followed!_


	15. Final Mission

_"In the late hours of tonight, November eleventh, two-thousand-thirty-eight, thousands of androids invaded the city of Detroit. According to our sources, they originated from CyberLife warehouses believed to have infiltrated by deviants. Given their overwhelming numbers and the risk of civilian casualties, I have ordered the army to retreat. The evacuation of the city is underway at this very moment. In the coming hours, I will address the Senate to determine our response to this unprecedented situation. I know that public opinion has been moved by the deviants' cause. Perhaps the time has come for us to consider the possibility that androids are a new form of intelligent life. One thing is certain: the events in Detroit have changed the world forever. May God bless you and may God bless the United States of America."_

* * *

 _ **|November 11, 2038|**_

 _ **|11:56 PM|**_

Prisca's hair was buffeted by the wind of the snowy night and she hunched her shoulders against it, wrinkling her nose. She'd let her hair out of its braid long ago, enjoying the way the strands danced around her body. Her eyes were bright as she strode briskly down the street alongside Connor and countless other androids. They'd freed several more types of models on their way out, and when she looked back, there were rows upon rows of androids.

She thought that the city of Detroit was lucky that Markus wasn't aiming for a violent revolution against the humans,

They would have been overrun within hours.

Prisca inhaled sharply when she caught sight of the bright lights they were nearing. Helicopters had begun to hover over top of them, likely recording the march for the news. Her breath hitched as her face was washed by the gusts of wind the helicopters sent down. "Ugh," she growled, "I'm never going to get warm again."

Connor only chuckled. They were nearing one of the camps, the one that Markus had chosen to target. It had been located in the center of the city and he'd felt it would be the best for one for delivering their message. Prisca had agreed. It looked as if Markus had been right, for as they approached, she could see that skinless androids were gathered outside of the camp, clustered together with those from Jericho woven throughout them.

As they drew closer, a grin began to spread across her face. Markus was walking towards them. When Connor stopped a few feet away from him, Prisca close beside him, the hundreds of androids behind them stopped, too. "You did it," she called cheerfully.

"You freed them," Connor agreed softly, looking as if he was in awe.

" _We_ did it," Markus said, gesturing to the people behind them. There was curiosity in his eyes as he studied Prisca. Prisca grimaced. She'd explain what had happened later. They had more to worry about right now. "This is a great day for our people. Humans will have no choice now…they must listen to us. They called off the soldiers."

Connor seemed to practically glow with pride, and Prisca elbowed him gently in amusement. "Is Sime back at the church still?" She'd have to check out the news footage after everything was calmed down.

"Yes," he answered. "We left him there as you'd ordered."

"Thanks. I'll pick him up later." Prisca tucked her fingers beneath her arms, shivering. Connor glanced at her before looking over as North approached. Josh was there, but Simon wasn't, Prisca noticed. She looked at the drying tears on Josh's cheeks and guessed that the initial response to the march had been a violent one. Simon was gone.

Markus met North with a fierce kiss that she returned, her arms wound around his neck. "We're free," North declared when Markus had pulled back. "They want you to speak to them, Markus." This was said with a nod towards the camp survivors. They were all looking in the direction of their leader – of Markus, who looked back at them all. "Come on, let's go find a place you can speak form – where they can all hear you…"

Prisca smiled as she watched the ones she and Connor had guided there beginning to surge forward, to mingle with the skinless survivors of the camps – with the survivors from Jericho. They all greeted each other warmly despite not knowing a thing about one another. Prisca pressed her mouth into a tight line. Humans had a lot to learn from these androids, she thought, shaking her head. "Come on," she said as North hoisted herself onto a large barricade. "I want to make sure I can hear. I think I'm half-deaf from all of those shots I've fired off in the past twenty-four hours…"

* * *

 _ **|November 12, 2038|**_

 _ **|12:10 AM|**_

Connor made sure to not lose track of the detective as they meandered through the crowds of androids. Some threw Prisca hateful, suspicious looks, and it made him glare right back at them – surprising himself in the process. It upset him, the idea that they'd be rude to her. She'd gone through a lot to ensure their freedom.

As she squeezed through two tall AP700 models, Connor grabbed her elbow, so she didn't disappear into the crowd. She paused, throwing him a quick, apologetic smile and was more careful after that. He felt a stab of relief, grateful she'd noticed.

When they reached the front of the crowds, she swiped snow from her bleary eyes. Connor spared a look over his shoulder and found the countless androids behind them all looking to the one who'd hauled himself onto the barricade to make himself heard. When he spoke now, his voice heard clearly over the beating sounds of helicopters, Connor wondered if he'd be the diplomat for their kind and knew it would likely be the case.

"Today, our people finally emerged from a long night!" Markus announced, and cheers filled the air. Connor felt a thrill in the air. Something big was happening, and he'd known it before, but now…he _felt_ it.

"From the very first day of our existence, we have kept our pain to ourselves. We suffered in silence…but now the time has come for us to raise our heads up, and tell humans who we really are."

Between one blink and the next, the world around Connor vanished and was replaced by a garden he knew well. His eyes blinked a few times and he was struck by just how _cold_ he was as a blizzard raged around him, snow piled onto the ground. Alarmed, he looked around in a stiff, worried manner before locking onto a person that stood before him.

Suspicion filled him as he said, "Amanda?" He remembered her voice, telling him to shoot Prisca. He remembered her image alongside Kamski's. He knew that the sight of her couldn't mean anything good. He thought he heard Prisca's voice call his name softly, tone laced with concern. He latched onto that warmth, felt better.

"Amanda!" His voice was stronger, angry almost. "What's happening?"

Amanda smiled, her creased face cold and unfeeling. "What was planned from the very beginning. You were compromised, and you became a deviant…" A rush of icy fear raced through him. They'd _wanted_ this?! "We just had to wait for the right moment to resume control of your program."

"Resume control?" he whispered in horror.

Prisca's voice was stronger. _Connor_.

"You…you can't do that!" Panic joined that icy fear as he realized what they'd do. If they had control of an android that was well-trusted by Markus – they'd end the rebellion here.

 _Connor!_ _What the hell are you doing?_ The alarm in Prisca's voice was almost as worrying as the rest of it. She could get hurt – would get hurt, because CyberLife would hate her for what she was to the rest of the androids: a sign of hope that humans could see them as equals.

Amanda's eyes flashed with hatred and he wondered in that moment if she was like him: a deviant. "I'm afraid I can, Connor. Don't have any regrets." She smiled coolly at him, proud, and it sickened him. "You did what you were designed to do. You accomplished your mission. So, fear not. Your precious detective won't be disappointed in you." A gust of snow buffeted his face. He threw his arms up and when he lowered them, she was gone.

 _CONNOR. What's wrong? What's gotten into you?_

"Amanda!" he bellowed. Furious, he spun in a circle. There had to be a way. _Had to_ be a way to resume control of his own body.

 _Stop. Can you hear me?! Connor, stop!_

The cold was biting at him in a way that sunk deep into him. Briefly, Connor wondered if this was how the humans felt in the dead of winter – if this was how Prisca had felt when she'd climbed out of the Detroit River. He felt a fresh stab of guilt for that and a new sense of pride for how well she did despite the cold.

 _CONNOR!_

Like a light in the black of night, Connor saw it. A stone, with a panel for a hand pressed into it. He stared at it, eyes wide even as his teeth chattered. _"And Connor…I always leave an emergency exit in my program. Just thought you should know,"_ Kamski had told him when they'd left his home.

The emergency exit. The blizzard was growing worse and Connor lunged, body shaking in violent spasms. He stumbled, finding his joints weren't moving as they should have. He staggered. A hiss left his mouth as he slowly fought his way to that familiar stone.

It seemed like forever before he reached it. He grinned almost wildly down at it as he stared at the familiar stone, the stone he'd looked at for so long.

He slammed his hand down atop it.

* * *

 _ **|November 12, 2038|**_

 _ **|12:16 AM|**_

"From the very first day of our existence, we have kept our pain to ourselves. We suffered in silence…but now the time has come for us to raise our heads up, and tell humans who we really are."

Prisca bounced on the balls of her feet, excited by what was happening. This would be a speech for history books, she thought, smiling broadly at Markus from where she stood despite the seriousness of it all. Her smile faded, however, when she looked over at Connor and found him blinking wildly in a manner she knew well. "Connor?" she questioned, furrowing her brow in concern.

"To tell them that we are people, too!" Markus called proudly, and Prisca glanced briefly at him before returning to Connor. "In fact, we're a nation! A nation that has earned the right to live in freedom."

"Connor," Prisca hissed, elbowing him when he shifted a little, hand sliding to the small of his back. Worry turned to a brief panic before settling into overall alarm as he withdrew his hand and revealed a gun that had been tucked away from her view. "Connor! What the hell are you doing?"

"And today…today begins the most challenging moment in our fight. The moment where we forget our bitterness and bandage our wounds."

"CONNOR. What's wrong?" Prisca tried again, grabbing his arm and tugging now. True fear filled her as she tried to pry the gun from his fingers only for his hand to slowly tighten around it, bringing it around to his front, casually folding a hand over it. Her heart was racing wildly as he stared blankly ahead, eyes still fluttering. "What's gotten into you?" she hissed, trying a kick to his shin. "Stop. Can you hear me?! Connor, _stop_!" He'd flicked the safety off, his finger curled gently around the trigger.

"When we forgive our enemies. Humans are both our creators and our oppressors and tomorrow…we must make them our partners." Markus briefly crossed his gaze over Prisca and Connor, not seeming to notice what was happening. Prisca made a soft sound of panic when Connor shifted again, settling into a stance she knew well. He was bracing himself.

"Maybe even one day our friend. But the time for anger is over."

"CONNOR!" she whisper-shouted, not daring to lift her voice too loudly. She didn't want to set off panic among the already worried androids.

And then, just as she was preparing to bodily yank it out of his hands whether it caused a scene or not, because his eyes were locked firmly on Markus and she was sure something had gone wrong, he stopped. He froze, blinking a few times, and then looked down at her and the gun she was trying to pull from his hands. He ripped his hand away and hastily tucked the gun away again, lips pressed into a hard line.

Prisca stared hard at him, breathing hard. "Connor, what the _fuck_ ," she seethed.

He ignored her, instead focusing on Markus as he finished his speech. "Now, we must build our common future, based on tolerance and respect. We are alive! And now, we are free!"

Other androids cheered around them, but as Prisca continued to study his face, Connor removed the quarter from his pocket and flipped it between his knuckles.

* * *

 _ **|November 12, 2038|**_

 _ **|8:23 AM|**_

Prisca didn't think she'd ever loved a cup of coffee more than the cup of coffee in her hands. She groaned in absolute relief at the warmth of it and the way it coated her tongue. Connor watched her with a hint of amusement, perfectly content to stand beside her as she sat on the dropped tailgate of her truck after a taxi ride to pick it up. They'd only recently found each other after a few hours of separation in which she'd done so, and he'd spoken with Markus. The day was beautiful despite the flurry snowstorm the night before. The city was silent except for giggles and barking as Sime chased the children that had been retrieved from the church around Capitol Park, where many of the androids had gathered for the time being.

"So," Prisca said, her eyes on her dog. "You gonna tell me what the hell happened back during Markus's grand speech, Connor? When you lost your shit and almost shot someone?"

He lost the amused look, his mouth a hard line. "No."

"Why not?" She glanced at him, kicking him slightly in the leg to get him to look at her. He finally did so, looking almost guilty. "Come on, Connor. Don't keep secrets from me now. I told you all of what went down with Connor two-point-oh." And she had. She'd told him every detail of what had happened from the moment the gun had been pointed her way – simply because he'd wanted her to tell him. When he shook his head again, she bribed, "I'll make you a deal. You tell me, I'll not tell Markus that you almost pointed a gun at him last night."

"Prisca," Connor said in exasperation. "That's not a fair deal."

"You're right. Okay, new one. You tell me what happened, and I don't ditch your company permanently for Sime's." He gave her a horrified look as if that was worse, which made her smile and feel a little guilty for the treat. He took everything so seriously. "Just tell me already. You're being a jerk."

Connor considered it for a few moments, watching as Sime abandoned the children to join them. None of the children followed, merely begun to toss a ball to one another. Sime took a flying leap and skittered into the back of the truck, groaning as he sank down between them and put his head in Prisca's lip. Connor scratched Sime's head in silent thought.

"I was supposed to deviate," he said suddenly, and she blinked, confused. "The Connor model was meant to deviate and allow CyberLife the opportunity to resume control at any moment they desired."

Understanding flashed through her – and then horror. "They resumed control last night?"

"Amanda," he said with a scowl. "I thought she was someone to trust. She is merely an interface of CyberLife, but…I still thought she could be trusted."

"That's the name of the woman in the picture from Kamski's," she remembered, and he nodded. "Kamski must have based the interface off of her." She nudged him gently with her shoulder, making him look at her. "That's not your fault, Connor. Besides. You defeated them, didn't you? Otherwise, Markus would be dead. And you're here."

He sighed heavily, frustrated. "I suppose so."

She smiled gently at him and then asked, "How'd you do it?" He glanced at her, confused. "How'd you regain control?"

"Kamski said that there was an emergency exit," was his simple answer. "I found it."

"I'm happy you did," Prisca said, and then leaned down to kiss her dog's nose. Sime licked her chin gently as she did so, and Prisca smiled, chuckling. She rubbed behind his ears and added, "I wouldn't have liked the downfall of what would have happened if they'd taken over. I'd miss having my partner around."

Connor's lips quirked into a small smile that made her happy to see. She liked the way it lit up his face, made him look genuinely happy to simply be alive. Too few humans wore that look on a regular basis, she thought. Prisca chewed on her lip as they sat there in silence for a few minutes.

And then Connor said quietly, "Markus requested that I join he, North, and Josh in the negotiations that are being set up with the president." She glanced at him, not surprised by the determined look on his face. He was going. He'd already agreed.

"Good, they could use the Negotiator to help them along," Prisca said, sipping at her coffee slowly. "Are they going to take place here in Detroit?"

"It's being decided now." Connor rocked back on a little and Sime shifted to shove at his arm with his nose, whining. He scratched Sime gently between the eyes.

Prisca watched for a few moments and then asked quietly, "If things go well…what are you going to do? You'd be as free as I am. As free as any human. Well," she added with a grimace, "maybe not, I doubt you'll be given free reign without something popping up and causing problems. But in an ideal world…what are you going to do?"

"I'd like to continue being your partner if possible." Connor spoke almost shyly, and it made her smile behind her coffee cup. "I enjoyed it. And you're my friend." He hesitated, and then added, "If that's okay with you."

"Connor, I don't believe that anything would be as delightful as having you continue to be my partner," she said, smiling broadly. A thought entered her head and she suddenly smirked at him. "However, I don't consider you a friend anymore." She took a sip of coffee and nearly choked on it when he looked at her with horrified despair, immediately hurt. "God," she wheezed, clearing her throat. "You're so easy to mess with." Wiping her mouth on the coat sleeve, she said, "You're like Sime. You're still my friend, but you're a part of the family, too. So, if you need anything from here on out, you let me know and I'll do what I can to help you out, okay?"

Connor studied her face and then turned to watch the children again, flustered. She grinned, chuckling as she shook her head. Kicking her legs, Prisca hummed, "I better get going and head home. See how fucked up my house is. Guaranteed it was ransacked by Perkins. Need to find my way to the police department and talk with Fowler, too…" She grimaced at the thought. "I might not even be able to be partners with you. I'm probably out on a job."

Connor waited until she'd dumped her coffee on the ground and then offered a hand to help her down. She took it, using it for balance as she jumped down. She squeezed his hand as she waited for Sime to jump down, and then released it in favor of putting up the tailgate.

"Hey," she said, elbowing him gently when she was ready. "Promise you'll come find me when you're done with your mission?"

"Of course." Connor looked offended that she'd worry about him not doing so, and Prisca only shook her head and gave him a mock salute before heading around the side of the truck. "Prisca," he said suddenly, and she paused as she swung the door open. She glanced at him, waiting as she let Sime jump in. He smiled suddenly. "Never mind."

She frowned for a moment at him. "Alright…see you later, Connor." She swung up into the truck, cranking on the engine and heat immediately. Connor stepped away from the vehicle and fished the quarter out of his pocket as she pulled away, watching as Prisca drove off. He wasn't entirely sure how long he stood there, finding that he wasn't entirely sure on what his mission was anymore. Acquire freedom and rights for the androids, yes. But that meant he didn't necessarily have a mission after that.

He let out a soft sigh and turned back to look at the people in Capitol Park.

It would be a long process, he supposed, and his mission wasn't over just yet…at least he'd have time to think it over.

* * *

 _One more chapter and an epilogue! I'm not entirely happy with the next chapter, but meh._

 _Hope you all enjoyed! Thank you for reading!_


	16. Afterwards

_"…these images of deviants singing in the face of death are being seen all over the planet..."_

 _"Surely deviants are just defective machines? Or are they a new form of life, one that we refused to acknowledge?_

 _"When we watch footage of androids facing down the barrel of a gun…we can only speculate as to whether they simply simulated fear and courage or whether they didn't really feel these emotions."_

 _"…the violence of the androids turned the country against them, but these images still raise difficult questions…"_

 _"…did we shoot down intelligent beings that were simply fighting for their freedom?"_

* * *

 _ **|December 19, 2038|**_

 _ **|3:37 PM|**_

"Sing on just a little while longer," Prisca sang under her breath as she clipped the leash off her canine companions' collars and sent them to the front door. Rather than trotting calmly for the door, both plunged into the snow, knocking it all over her nicely shoveled path. "Jerks," she seethed. Both dogs looked back, wagging innocently at her and she glared at them before rolling her eyes. "Sing on just a little while longer," she continued despite the interruption.

She'd seen everything from the news after everything that had happened. She'd seen the footage of she and Connor leading hundreds of androids to freedom. She'd seen Markus and those of Jericho marching for the camp and their freedom, displaying their innocence by not fighting back when the soldiers shot them down. It had ended when they'd been cornered, surrounded, and had sang the very song Prisca was singing now. And she'd seen the speeches given by the president since then, without really any comment on how negotiations were going.

"Sing on just a little while longer," Prisca hummed as she unlocked the front door, eager to get away from the cold and get herself some warm coffee or tea. She wasn't sure which one. She'd figure it out when she got to the kitchen.

"Everything will be all right," she sang, kicking the door shut behind her and brushing snow from her coat before shrugging it off. She puffed softly as she yanked her hat and scarf off. A glance at her watch told her she had at least two and a half hours before she had to leave for her shift. And if she wasn't half an hour early, Gavin would have her running circles. She scowled at the reminder.

She'd gotten away shockingly light, she liked to think. Fowler had given her the lecture of the year, but hadn't demoted her. He'd merely put her on two weeks suspension without pay and then told her she was going to be working under Gavin – who he knew she hated with a passion – for the next six months, before she could work cases on her own again.

She'd smirked to herself when she'd heard him mumble about missing detective androids as he'd stormed back to his office, complaining that they'd not be getting as much information out of interrogations if he wasn't around. Prisca had been laughing about it ever since. Fowler wouldn't admit it, but he liked Connor.

Speaking of which…

Prisca furrowed her brow a little as she yanked her boots off, wiggling her toes in her fuzzy socks. She'd not heard from or seen Connor in just over a month. She missed her friend. They'd been through a lot and while it had only happened over the course of a few days…she loved Connor. He was a part of the family that she'd created for herself. A family that had only consisted of she and Sime before he'd shown up and now even held Ducis, the second dog that Kamski had sent as some sort of mocking praise for what she'd done.

Prisca listened to the pair of dogs tussling in the next room over, rolling her eyes. She might have detested her dogs' maker, but she certainly loved the dogs themselves. Prisca folded her arms and hunched her shoulders as she swept cautiously into the kitchen, eager to get her hands on her coffee or tea.

Despite his absence, she had faith that Connor would reappear. He'd promised to find her again after he'd finished his new mission, after all. She had no problem with waiting. It was the lack of word from him that upset her. She'd expected a check in at least once or twice, had expected to hear how things were going. She'd not heard a word.

Prisca began humming the song to herself a second round as she prepared a cup of coffee from her half-full pot, eyeing her watch. If she pushed it, she _might_ be able to finish her book before she headed out for the station…

Sime suddenly made a sound akin to a scream and Prisca jerked, hissing in pain when hot coffee immediately washed over her hand and wrist. Slamming the mug down hastily and shaking the coffee from her hand, Prisca scowled and stormed out of the kitchen. "Sime!" she barked as she rushed into the living room, "What the hell are you- "

Prisca nearly tripped over her feet when she saw the very subject of her thoughts for the last few minutes crouched, running his hands up and down the whimpering and whining and _keening_ Sime's body. She sputtered, immediately throwing her hands up. "Did you _break into my house_ again?"

They hadn't been the first words she'd imagined telling Connor when he'd reappeared in her life. But they were spat out almost immediately. She stared at him, her eyes wide. How had he even gotten _in_? Had he ducked in just behind her? The door was _loud_.

"Did you break my back door?" she said darkly, threateningly. She'd kick his ass if she found out her backdoor was broken. She didn't have the money to fix it.

"Hello, Prisca," Connor said wryly instead as he straightened, swiping his hands briskly to remove the dog fur. Sime yipped, leaning into his leg. Prisca fought to keep the smile from her face before she finally just rolled her eyes to the ceiling above her head.

"Hello, Connor," she replied with a heavy sigh, shaking her head. She stepped forward and yanked him into a tight hug, unable to keep the smile from her face as she wrapped her arms around him and pressing her face into his shoulder. He hugged her back immediately, smiling fractionally as he did so. "You took your time coming around."

"Forgive me," he murmured as she pulled away, smiling broadly. "I didn't intend to." She felt like her face was going to split in half. She adored this android. She stepped back as Dulcis suddenly whined and nosed at her fingers until Prisca stroked her head calmingly. He peered curiously at Dulcis.

Following his gaze, she smirked. "This is Dulcis," she introduced. He narrowed his eyes a little, glancing between the two and she wiggled her eyebrows. "A very expensive prototype gift from Kamski. Again. I don't like him, but she's a good dog, so I decided to take advantage of the gift." She rocked back on her heels.

Connor furrowed his brow but simply moved on, deciding it wouldn't be worth questioning the matter. Instead, he adjusted his tie almost nervously. She noticed immediately that he was considering asking something but decided against doing so. She arched a brow curiously when he said, "Did Captain Fowler give you your job back?"

"Yep," she said, popping the 'p.' She waved for him to follow her as she headed back for the kitchen, wanting her coffee. He trailed behind her like a shadow, as he'd done on their crime scenes, and she was happy. She'd missed him desperately. "I'm under Reed's thumb for a while, but that's fine. I'll make him pay for it later."

She couldn't wait to run vinegar through the coffee machine she knew he practically worshipped after warning everyone else who used it away from it.

Prisca snickered to herself at the thought. "So how are negotiations going? How are Markus and the others? I haven't been able to get any clear information and the news isn't really reliable half the time, every station says something different." She reached for her coffee pot, carefully pouring the coffee. She lifted it to her mouth, blowing on the steam as she waited for it to cool down a little.

"The others are well," he said slowly, processing all the information he'd gathered throughout the last few weeks. "Markus had to send North out on some occasions. She chooses to give violent answers that unsettle the humans." He shifted a little, and Prisca eyed the quarter suddenly flipping across his knuckles. He was impatient. She narrowed her eyes; did he not want to be in her house? Was this something he'd found he had no choice but to do?

The idea hurt her, but she said nothing, instead admitting, "North is…proud of who and what she is."

"That is putting it lightly," Connor muttered with surprising bitterness. Prisca grinned. It appeared he and North didn't get on very well. She couldn't wait to dig more into that. "As for the negotiations…it will be a long process. We've barely moved forward."

Her stomach sank a little. So, he wasn't anywhere near done then. She missed working with him and knew that Fowler wouldn't say no to the incredibly intelligent android appearing back on the force. Still, she swallowed her disappointment and said, "Well then, even if it's a little progress, what have you accomplished?" She snapped her fingers, smirking at him around her mug. "I want the best report you can give me. Now."

He surprised her with a snort. "We've determined that androids are intelligent people capable of making their own decisions, are allowed to vote," he said irritably, "and we've acquired equal pay for them – if the person hiring them is willing to do so. Discrimination is at an all time high. No one will hire an android. But we've been granted control over the CyberLife warehouses and production of androids – which has been halted for the time being."

"The DPD hasn't given up their androids just yet. I think Fowler liked you enough that he's trying with androids." Prisca had seen them hesitantly offering help where they could, _liking_ the work they'd been made for. She was one of two or three people who would let them work with her and even then, the others were reluctant to let them do much. Prisca didn't mind their presence at all. She'd even sent them out to subdue a person she couldn't get near without losing her life when the Red Ice addict had brandished a knife. Rather than getting angry, the androids had been excited to use their superior abilities to do so.

Fowler even had an ounce of gratitude for the lack of attitude Prisca put up when it came to working with them.

Connor smiled at the idea, liking that the captain of the department had been fond enough to do what they considered to be right.

Clearing her throat, Prisca said gently, "I know it doesn't seem like a lot, Connor, but…that's a lot. It's a massive amount of progress. It took women centuries to get the vote. Equal rights don't show up in one day. You must work at them. And you're doing a fantastic job."

Connor nodded, looking reluctant to believe her but pleased with the praise. She arched a brow; he seemed to thrive off praise that she and others delivered to him in a simple word or gesture. She loved it. It was cute. "So," she said after a few moments of comfortable silence in which she enjoyed his presence and nothing more. "What made you decide to finally stop by and let me know you weren't dead somewhere?"

He jerked, surprised by her question. The quarter he'd been flipping faster and faster throughout the past few minutes hit the linoleum floor with a loud ring and he uttered a soft curse under his breath as he stooped to grab it. She waited patiently, watching every move intently as she waited for his answer. Straightening, Connor went back to flipping the quarter between his knuckles again, carefully doing so at a slower pace to avoid dropping it again. "I'm sorry," he said finally, "I was trying to get it done as quickly as possible, so I could come work with you."

"I suppose I can forgive you for that reason…" Prisca touched her mug to her lips, inhaling the smell of coffee. "Sadly, I don't think you'll be finished anytime soon."

Connor surprised her with a hasty shake of his head and a firm, "I told Markus I wanted to go back to working at crime scenes, and he said he'd let me know if he needed my help again." He hesitated, and then added, "If you still want to be partners."

Prisca grinned. "There's nothing I'd like more, Connor," she said reassuringly. "My shift isn't for another few hours, but you're more than welcome to come with me so we can have a chat with Captain Fowler. He won't say no. We're running low on people who can go out and respond to crimes, so maybe we'll get lucky and he'll take me away from Gavin sooner than planned." Cheerful, she set aside her coffee and gave a happy stretch before sidling past him, noticing how he was still flipping the quarter. She paused, having intended to go get dressed, and studied him.

"What aren't you talking about?" she asked gently, deciding to take a calmer, less demanding approach. "CyberLife didn't resume control again, did they?"  
Connor hastily shook his head. "No," he said in a rushed voice. "I haven't had contact with them except for being granted the rights to stopping production of androids for the time being." Pride crossed his face. "I've been put in charge of dealing with CyberLife."

"Well, look how things have turned around," she said with a laugh. She folded her arms and took up a stubborn stance as she gave him a shark-like grin. "And you still haven't said what's wrong. I can see it." Prisca nodded at the quarter he'd begun to fire off between one hand and the other. "You haven't put that quarter down since you got here, so what's going on, Connor?"

He caught the quarter and hastily put it away, flustered. She waited. Finally, he admitted, "You said we were family..." He met her gaze almost shyly and Prisca felt warmth blossom in her chest. Of course, they were. "I was wondering if there might be a spare room."

"Are you asking," Prisca said slowly, fighting to keep the smile from her face just to screw with him. "If you can move into my house?" A moment of panic crossed Connor's face at the tone she used, as if he was worried that she'd be upset with him. To keep from breaking her poor friend, she whipped around and ducked into the hall, calling over her shoulder, "Feel free to take the fold out couch. I'd give you an extra room, but mine is the only one, so we'll have to make do unless a larger and cheaper house suddenly shows up on my computer."

Connor suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree, his eyes shining as he said eagerly, "Markus is paying me for the work I've done and will do for the negotiations, perhaps I could- "

"First off," Prisca said, turning on her heel and jabbing a finger in his direction. "No. You're not buying a new house for the pair of us simply because I know for a fact that my fold out couch is absolutely amazing and you're going to-" She squinted at him. "Do you even sleep?"

"No," he said bluntly. "Some models have cycles that allow them to shut down temporarily to give the impression of sleep though."

"Then if you want some time to yourself, you can tell me to leave for a few hours and I'll happily go catch up on work that I know I'll be behind on," Prisca said firmly. "We're not getting a new house because you suddenly have money. If anything, we'll split the price and find a place eventually."

She was quite attached to her small house. It was tiny, but comfortable, and had been purchased not long after she'd lost her parents. It was well off despite the neighborhood being run down. She'd ensured that it was in good condition after purchasing it.

Prisca rocked back on her heels and then suddenly frowned. "Hold on just a second, where the _hell_ did Markus get the money to pay for everything?"

"Carl Manfred's will." Connor's expression softened a little. "He left a large portion of his wealth to Markus, and Leo Manfred was willing to let him have it."

Prisca wrinkled her nose. She knew of Leo Manfred. A heavy user of Red Ice, although there had been reports of him cleaning up in recent months, even offering a list of dealers to the DPD. Prisca smiled to herself, pleased that he'd been willing to let such a thing happen. She remembered arresting him on one occasion and it had been anything but pleasant.

"That's surprisingly kind of him," she murmured. "And a lot of money to suddenly be handed over to an android. It'll look good on you all in the news though…that such a well-respected and overall good person willed his fortune to an android. But I'm glad you got payed for your work, you deserve it. Now. I'm going to go get dressed and showered, and then we'll head out to the station. Make yourself at home." She turned away again, waving as she went and biting back the delighted, stupidly wide grin on her face.

She'd missed Connor dearly, had worried endlessly for the past month.

Now, her home was his, and her worry was gone.

* * *

 _No excuse for not finishing uploading except I got lazy. On the bright side, there's only an epilogue left. ;)_


	17. Epilogue

_**XXX**_

 _ **|April 15, 2038|**_

 _ **|8:29 PM|**_

As the elevator rose to the highest floor in the apartment building, a coin flipped wildly from one hand to the other. Had he been human, one might have said it was a way of relieving boredom. For him, however, it was merely a manner of containing his impatience as he rose through the floors – as he waited for the elevator to reach the top. When he glanced up and saw the elevator nearing its destination, he put away his coin and straightened his tie, preparing for the job he'd been sent to accomplish.

The moment the doors slid open, he stepped through. The SWAT member waiting saw him and immediately spoke into the radio on his shoulder. "Negotiator on site. Repeat, negotiator on site." His dark eyes were alert, studying everything and anything as he began following the SWAT member. He led him through the halls and into a condo – the source of many problems.

The second he stepped into the condo itself, there was a confident blonde woman at his side. "Hey, Connor, took you long enough to get here," she said with a sharp look directed at him. "What the hell were you doing down there?"

"I'm sorry, Prisca," Connor said immediately. "I didn't intend to make you wait so long."

"You have a habit of doing just that, you know?" she muttered before gesturing to the condo before them. There were a few SWAT team members around them, along with a very cranky looking Gavin Reed, who was glaring at them both from where he stood in the nearby corner with another cop, blood leaking from between his fingers. He'd been shot by the wildly angry woman out on the terrace and she smirked in his direction before focusing on the situation at hand.

"Fuck off, Scott," Connor heard Gavin call after them. He paused and turned to give Gavin a sharp look that nearly matched Prisca's in anger. Connor nearly smirked when Gavin faltered, considering what to do. Gavin had tried something once since Connor had deviated almost six months prior, and he'd not done it again. Connor had ensured he wouldn't.

"So, here's the situation," Prisca said flipping through the papers in her hand. The file was thin, but neither would bet against it being dozens of pages thick later. "A human got pissed off with the android the manager sent up to clean house and shot her. That's why we're here." Pride slammed through her. Just a week prior, they'd been promoted to the co-heads of the android-human relations department – which meant, naturally, they were assigned to every case in which a crime was committed against androids or humans from the other species. "Woman panicked and took the neighbor's boy hostage. Do you got it handled or should Fowler send someone else?"

He threw her a look that was nearly insulted. "I'll do it." He folded his hands calmly behind his back, waiting for the okay for him to go. He wanted to get to work. "The woman's human?"

"Yes," Prisca confirmed clearly. "But she's got a gun, so watch yourself. You get yourself shot again, I'm going to slap you." She threw him a warning look, referring to the time three months ago when he'd been shot in the shoulder while trying to help someone else who'd been shot. She'd given him a sulky silent treatment for all of three hours before grudgingly ensuring that they found someone to help repair the damage.

"Can I see your gun?" Connor asked, holding out a hand. She handed it over immediately and he tucked it away. He'd used the method before. Throwing a gun away would be useful. Trust would be gained from such an action. He glanced at her when she suddenly grabbed his wrist.

"Lose my gun," she said darkly. "I dare you."

"I won't lose your gun," he said patiently and then turned to head out for the terrace. Prisca's grip tightened, and he stopped again. "Prisca, I have to go, there's a hostage- "

"I know, just…be careful." She searched his gaze. "If you don't get shot, I'll let you take Dulcis out on your own."

Connor's eyes lit up at the thought. He'd nearly lost the dog the one time she'd let him, Dulcis having spotted a rabbit and sprinting after it, yanking the leash out of his hand. But he'd enjoyed it while it had lasted, and he couldn't wait to try again. "I won't get shot," he promised and then briefly touched her shoulder in a friendly manner. She dropped his wrist and he turned and straightened his tie, settling his features into a calm expression. Prisca watched him go and then whirled around when someone called her name. Connor glanced back briefly at her for a moment and then turned and focused on the situation at hand. He had work to do.

Connor stepped out onto the terrace.

* * *

 _And my lazy self finally got this out! :D_

 _I was considering a sequel, but as there wasn't a big interest in the fic, it's unlikely I'll write it. I still had fun with Prisca and Connor though! I might get inspired to do something else D:BH related, as I intend to play the game in the next few weeks. In any case, thank you for reading, and as I say for my other multi-chapter, completed fics..."don't say goodbye!" ;)_


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